McLove of a Lifetime
by LilDoll71
Summary: A night out for Abby could mean BIG things for McGee. His high school best friend is back on the scene and before long things are going to change; and not just for Tim. Everyone gets involved in this roller coaster ride. Will Tim REALLY find love this time? Will it last? This is going to be a LONG one...so stay tuned for updates at least once a week. I hope you all enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Abby was hanging out with her friends at the bar after their show. They had

recently gotten a new singer and she wanted to see if she was any good; she was.

The girls got to talking and Abby was curious to find out more about her.

"Stacy, where's your boyfriend? Doesn't he get jealous when you are put gigging

at the bars with all these guys around?"

Stacy smiled and said "no man in my

life. Been there done that, too many losers always trying to change me. Besides,

my heart belongs to someone from long ago."

"Really? How long ago? What

happened that you aren't with him?"

Stacy kinda got a bit of a far off look

while telling Abby about the one who got away. Her past was playing in her mind

as she told Abby all about him. They knew each other since they were pre-teens.

He was quiet, shy and really smart...pretty much a total nerd; but so sweet with

the most amazing eyes she had ever seen. He had the most adorable smile and was

always there for her when she needed him. He believed in her dreams and knew

she could do anything she put her mind to. But most of all, when he hugged her

everything melted away and nothing else seemed to exist but the two of them.

One night really stuck out in her mind. It was Becky O'Neil's birthday party and

they were playing spin the bottle. It stopped on him and they shared their FIRST

kiss. Abby heard this story before. She remembered when another friend had told

her about the one he let get away and the birthday party and the kiss. It was

all she could do to hold back what she knew. She needed to keep this to herself;

for right now anyway.

The next two weeks seemed to go by so slowly. Abby was practically bursting with

the secrets she was holding. She had to time this just right for her two

friends. Work was pretty slow; which only made things harder when everyone

pretty much was making small talk to pass the time. It was Friday and the team

was getting ready to go. Ziva looked at everyone and suggested going out for

drinks. Abby knew this was the PERFECT opportunity to set her plan in motion.

Everyone agreed to meet up. Abby called Stacy and told her she was on her way to

come get her and that she needed to look good! The group was already on their

second round when Palmer noticed Abby wasn't there yet.

"Does anyone know where

Abby is?"

Just then she walked in, waved and said "McGee I got a surprise for

you!"

Tim stood up and before he could say anything, Stacy walked in. He could

hardly believe what he was seeing. She still looked pretty much the same as she

had all through high school. She was petite, roughly a foot shorter than him

with long, wavy brown hair and big grey eyes. Tony saw the look on McGee's face

and followed his gaze to see what he was looking at.

"Wow McDreamy, you act like

you've never seen a woman before. Close your mouth before you start eating

flies."

Ziva jabbed him in the side with her elbow; "Tony, I think he knows her.

Can't you see how he is looking at her?" she whispered through her teeth.

"Stacy, is it really you?" is all McGee could manage to say.

Stacy's eyes welled

slightly with tears as she gazed upon the man Tim had grown up to be. He wasn't

the geeky, awkward kid she knew in high school. He was so handsome now. And

those eyes, he still had those amazing eyes.

Stacy ran over to the bar; "Timmy!"; threw her arms around him and wished she never had to let go.

Ducky and Gibbs exchanged looks as if both were wondering what was going on.

"Look at you, you still look like the girl I was best friends with nearly 20 years

ago."

Stacy blushed a little and looked up into Timmy's eyes. She felt herself

starting to get lost when she managed to snap back to reality.

"You look great Timmy! I can't believe it's been so long!"

Abby just stood by with a huge smile on her face. She had really hoped this is how it would go.

Tony grabbed her arm "Who is she and what is going on here; SPILL!"

"Her name is Stacy and she is a friend of mine who also just so happens to be McGee's high school best friend".

"How did McGeek manage to have a best friend as hot as her? I didn't have a hot

best friend like that in high school."

McGee introduced Stacy to the group. They were all a bit curious about his high

school best friend. They had all heard stories about her at one point or

another. McGee had always said how pretty she was, but Tony never thought she

would be such a natural beauty. The rest of the evening was spent drinking and

laughing as Stacy told story after story about her adventures with McGee. The

two of them seemed like they were complete opposites, but yet complimented each

other so well. He was the quiet, reserved one. The computer geek. She was the

wild child, the rebel. They fit so well together; always finishing each other's

sentences.

Gibbs watched the two of them and he started reminiscing about when he was

courting Shannon. He didn't need anyone to tell him about the feelings they were

"hiding" from one another. Anyone watching them could see it, how could they

be so blind? They hung on each other's words and even though they were laughing

and joking with everyone else; it was almost like they were the only two in the

room. These two were soul mates; there was no doubt about it. To anyone who

didn't know them, they would probably think they were high school sweethearts

who married right after graduation.

The night was starting to wind down. Last call was announced and everyone was a

bit sad that the evening was coming to an end. They all were having such a great

time. Stacy fit in with the team so well. You would never know she met most of

them for the first time just a few hours ago. She had background in profiling,

investigating and forensics, so even when the team was talking shop she was able

to keep up with the conversation.

Gibbs started thinking she might even make a valuable addition to the team.

She was basically a criminal profiler. She could take different aspects from a

crime scene to figure out pretty much exactly what kind of suspect they were

looking for. He wanted to talk to Vance about maybe bringing her on as a

consultant. The only "problem" he could see in all this was Rule #12-never date

a coworker. He did know that McGee would be able to stay focused on the job, so

he thought he might actually allow for an exception.

McGee offered to bring Stacy home. He looked forward to the time alone with her.

The group said their goodbyes and told Stacy they really hope to see her again

soon. McGee and Stacy got to her apartment and spent a little while longer

talking in the car. It was late and they were both tired, so Stacy said she

should get inside. They hugged and Tim asked if he could kiss her goodnight. He

had barely gotten the words out before she grabbed his face and pulled him in.

Their hearts were both pounding so fast; making them feel like they were 13

again.

"Can I see you again tomorrow? I'd like to maybe take you to dinner and spend

some time alone catching up with you."

"I'd really like that Tim. Goodnight. Call me and we'll set up a time."

"Goodnight Stacy. Sweet dreams."

"Of course, I'll be dreaming of you, Timmy."

Stacy got out and walked into her apartment building. McGee sat in the car for a

few minutes smiling to himself and trying to wrap his head around what just

happened. He couldn't believe Stacy was back in his life. He missed her so much.

He hoped this time he would be able to tell her how he really felt and they

would be more than friends. He finally drove home and went to bed feeling

happier than he had in a VERY long time.

Stacy got into her apartment and felt like she was floating on a cloud. The boy

she loved so long ago had grown into a handsome, successful man and he was in

her life again. She felt like she had the night of Becky's party. That night

she had gotten her first kiss and that is exactly how she felt again tonight.

She hoped back then that they might become more than friends, but it never

happened. Timmy was her best friend and she was grateful to have him in her

life. She had always wanted to tell him how she really felt, but feared it might

drive him away. This time it was going to be different. After all, he did ask if

he could kiss her goodnight. And they were going on a date tomorrow night. All

seemed to be right in her world. She could still smell his cologne on her

sweater, so she snuggled it as she went to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Gibbs talked to Vance and as it turned out, Stacy was already being looked at for consulting on cases. She'd done some work with the FBI already and they were impressed with her work. He called her up and offered her a consulting position with the team.

"Thanks for the offer, Jethro, but I'm not sure if that would be such a good idea."

Gibbs was a bit surprised with her answer. "Why would you say that? I know you've done some work with the FBI and you come highly recommended."

Stacy hesitated for a moment. "I'll be honest with you. I don't think Tim and I working together is a good idea. We have a long history, and if things go the way I am hoping for, well, are there any policies against coworkers being involved at NCIS?"

Gibbs smiled a little to himself. He knew he saw it. "Well the agency doesn't have a policy against it, but I have my own set of rules that the team follows. Rule #12 is never date a coworker. I do think you and McGee might be able to be an exception though."

Stacy seemed a little surprised. Gibbs didn't seem to be the type to bend rules, especially his own. "How do you figure we could do that?"

"McGee is a good agent. He's always focused on the case no matter what seems to be going on his life. I think he would be able to separate his personal relationship with you from a work relationship. You also seem to be pretty focused. Am I wrong?"

"Well as long as you seem to think it won't be a problem, I'm in."

They talked for a little bit longer and agreed she would come in during the week to iron out all the final details and what not. He only hoped he was right about this working out. He was following his gut; and his gut was almost never wrong.

Tim and Stacy saw each other as often as their busy schedules would allow. They lost so many years already, they didn't want to waste any more. They had secretly loved each other for so long now; yet they were falling in love all over again. Tim still had no idea that he may end up working with Stacy. She and Gibbs both thought it would be a good idea to keep that to them until it was needed for the rest of the team to know.

Abby was really happy for her two friends. McGee needed a good woman in his life. He had gotten himself involved with a few psychos over the past few years. She had worried that he may never find the right one. Stacy was a good fit for him. She and Stacy talked a lot too. Stacy was constantly worried about pushing Tim away or just simply losing him; Abby always reassured her that she had nothing to worry about.

Gibbs got a call to go Vance's office. FBI Agent Fornell was up there too. A case they had been working on and thought had been solved wasn't; and it just passed into NCIS jurisdiction with the murder of a naval officer. Stacy had worked with the FBI on this case, so now was the time to let the team know she would be working with them.

Gibbs called Stacy and let her know to meet him at the office. She had heard from Fornell, so she was already on her way. Stacy got to the office and everyone thought she was just there to visit Tim.

"Actually I am going to be working on a case with you. It was an FBI case, but now it's crossed into your jurisdiction."

"Are you sure about this? You know; Gibbs has these rules." Tony was using his "boss" tone while saying this. "Rule #12 is never date a coworker. You and McGee are dating. This would break that rule."

He was about to continue when Gibbs came up behind him. Gibbs smacked Tony upside his head "Stacy and I have already discussed that rule DiNozzo.".

"Sorry Boss. Of course you already talked about this.". Tony looked over at Ziva and they just shrugged at each other.

"Boss, you're ok with this?" McGee was just as confused as Tony and Ziva.

"McGee, I know you can stay focused on your job, you've proven it time and again. Stacy has done work with the FBI in the past and she's one of the best."

"Ok then.". McGee sat back down at his desk.

Gibbs put his coffee on his desk and he and Stacy were discussing the case when her phone rang, it was Abby.

"You got something for me already? You rock girl, be right there."

Stacy looked at Gibbs, "Abby's got something, I'll be right back." She then grabbed HIS coffee and started walking toward the lab.

Gibbs yelled out, "Hey, never mess with a marine's coffee!"

Stacy stopped, turned around and looked right at Gibbs. "I'm not messing with it; I'm drinking it." She smiled, took a sip then turned and kept walking.

The team sat in shock at what just happened. Gibbs just half smiled to himself and then looked at Tony and McGee. "She's got bigger balls than the two of you put together."

Ziva chuckled to herself at that comment.

"She's a real pistol, Tim. Sure you can handle her? Was she ever a redhead?" Gibbs laughed to himself and headed to the lab to see what Abby had.

Gibbs walked into the lab as Abby was giving the low-down on what she had. It was already enough for Stacy to know her instincts were steering her in the right direction. They were dealing with a copy-cat killer.

The suspect they were looking for was clearly a monster. Stacy wondered how anyone could do these things. She also wondered how anyone could think they could get away with committing the same crimes someone else had already been caught for.

Agent Fornell had already started briefing the team on what the case was about. Stacy and Gibbs got back to the bullpen and filled them in on the rest.

"We are looking for a white male; 35-40 years old. His relationship with his mother was probably not a good one. The women he goes after could remind him of his mother or another woman in his past that reminded him of her. He tries to pass himself off as an alpha male to his friends; but women make him very insecure. This is why he kidnaps them, tortures them and kills them. The entire act from the abduction to the killing is a power play." Stacy hated working on this case the first time. She had used the same profile for the original killer.

"How can you be sure of the age and race? Any sicko could be copying the killings." Tony was a bit skeptical.

"A younger man would lack the discipline needed and an older man would lack the patience and possibly the strength. He identifies with the original killer. He feels as though they are kindred spirits. As far as his race, typically a man stays within his own race when it comes to sexual crimes."

Fornell knew how much this case had bothered Stacy. "Are you going to be ok dealing with another monster like this again?"

"Yes, I am more determined to get this bastard than I was the first one. I want to stop him before he gets any more victims. And besides, I'm not alone this time." She looked over at Tim. He had a bit of a concerned look on his face, but managed a small smile because it made him feel good that she felt safer with him around.

Tobias saw the looks and then looked at Gibbs. "Are they... Did you know?"

Gibbs nodded "Uh huh."

"You're ok with this? And especially after what happened with Diane?!"

McGee immediately got defensive. "I told you NOTHING happened!"

Stacy was a bit confused. "What happened and who is Diane?"

Tony jumped right in before Ziva could stop him. "Diane is their ex-wife. McGee had protection duty and these two found them in a bit of a compromised position."

Gibbs smacked Tony upside his head. "I think it's time to put it to rest, Tobias. He said nothing happened. I believe him."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It's been fun making him squirm though. He wouldn't be able to handle her anyway." Fornell laughed it off and just looked at Stacy wondering what she saw in McGee.

Vance walked over to the team with a look that Gibbs didn't like.

"They've found another one. This one is civilian though. Have we decided how we are working this one yet? Who's taking the lead?"

Fornell and Gibbs looked at each other. "I think it's best if we just work together on this one. We need to catch this guy. I don't want this getting out of control like the last one." Gibbs nodded in agreement.

"Let's go, grab your gear. You too." Gibbs looked over to Stacy.

Stacy looked over at McGee. "I think we'll have a little chat about this whole Diane situation later." She gave him a smile to let him know she was just kidding.

Fornell chuckled and looked at McGee who just looked back at him and rolled his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

The team arrived on scene. Ducky and Palmer started checking the body. Another female, looking to be in her mid-thirties.

"It would seem this one has been violated just as the last one was. Poor girl."

Palmer didn't like seeing these cases either. He didn't know what he would do if anyone even tried doing something like this to Breena.

"How does someone get to the point of being able to do something like this to another human being?"

"They are born this way, Jimmy. For these people the potential is always there. Fortunately most don't get to this point. They are sick, very sick." Stacy could see this really bothered Palmer.

"Try not to let it in, Jimmy. You can't let these monsters get in your head."

"She's right, Mr. Palmer. You don't want these beasts roaming in your head. That can be quite dangerous."

Palmer looked a bit confused. "Dangerous, sir?"

"Yes. They can get in rather easily; but it can then take years to get them back out."

The team was processing the scene. Taking photos, looking for any clues the killer may have left behind. Thinking of what these poor women had gone through made Stacy shudder.

"You alright, Stacy?" McGee has never really seen anything affect Stacy like this. She always had a tough exterior. He knew that stuff bothered her when she told other people it didn't; but she never really let it show.

"I'll be alright, Tim. Maybe I'll come over later and we can talk." She thought it was sweet how he always looked out for her and made sure she was ok.

"Yeah, we can do that." McGee got right back to what he had been doing.

Gibbs knew even more now that Rule #12 wouldn't be an issue with these two. They got done processing the scene and the body was packed up to transport.

Back in autopsy, Ducky and Palmer worked on the body. There were multiple contusions just as there were with the others. The mutilations to this victim matched up also. They determined the cause of death to be strangulation. She had been sexually assaulted, repeatedly also.

"You poor, poor girl. How could anyone do this to another human being? I can only imagine the pain and fear you experienced at the hands of your attacker. Maybe you are better off not having to live with this horror."

Ducky knew if she had lived she would probably be in therapy for the rest of her life. It would be highly unlikely she would have ever returned to a normal life.

Gibbs and Stacy walked in. "Anything new with this one, Ducky?" Stacy hoped this guy would not be as organized as the first one.

"I'm afraid it's all the same. Same burn marks, same bruising patterns, the repeated sexual assault, same cause of death." Ducky could tell they were disappointed.

Stacy's phone rang. "Reid. Ok we'll be right there." She hung up and looked at Gibbs. "Abby's got something." The two of them walked to the lab.

"Gibbs, Stacy. You guys are quick! I hate to say this, but everything I have, you already have." Abby hated to tell Gibbs she really didn't have much.

"Then why did you call us here Abbs?". Gibbs hoped she would find something useful.

"Well, I do have something, sort of. This guy did everything pretty much the same, but he used a different brand of tape. The adhesive is slightly different from the other one. But, you can get it just about everywhere. Trying to track where it came from is pretty much impossible."

"Thanks Abby. You probably don't think you've found much, but it is helpful." Stacy was actually pretty happy about this small discrepancy. It would only be a matter of time before he messed up so more.

Back up in the bullpen the team was trying to see if maybe the victim had anything unusual happening in her life that would have made her a target.

"Boss, I've been through all her bank records and can't find anything unusual." McGee was frustrated at the fact he couldn't find anything.

"Ziva and I talked to family, friends and coworkers and they all said that there was nothing unusual going on in her life before she disappeared." Tony hoped they would have found something to go on.

"She fit his profile. We have 2 victims now. Hopefully I can find enough from them before there is a third. Tim, I'm going to need copies of all the financial records from both victims and Tony I want you to give me what you have too. There's got to be something from all of it I can use to figure this out." Stacy was determined not to let this escalate to the level the last case did. He had 10 victims. That was NOT going to happen this time.

Gibbs looked at his team. "Get Stacy what she needs then go home. There's not much more we can do tonight. Tomorrow is a new day."

"Timmy can I come over for a while tonight? I really don't want to be alone right now."

"Sure Stacy, I told you earlier you could." He was looking forward to some downtime with her after the stressful day.

"Thanks. I'll grab us some dinner and I'll be over in about an hour."

"Ok, sounds good. See you then." McGee was looking forward to some alone time with Stacy.

"Goodnight guys." Stacy started toward the elevator.

"Night" Tony and Gibbs waved as she walked away. "Stacy wait up." Ziva was headed to the elevator.

"Well well McLoverBoy, looks like things are going pretty good for you and Reid. Good for you. It's about time." Tony actually was really happy for his friend. He had been noticing a bit of a change, but it was a good thing.

"Yes Tony; things are going very well with Stacy. It's like all those years in between never happened. We just picked right up where we left off. I'm really happy."

"Good for you, McGee. She just may be a keeper." Gibbs smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "See you guys in the morning."

Ziva could see how happy McGee had been since Stacy came back into his life. "So things are going well with McGee?"

"Yes Ziva. He makes me so happy and he doesn't even have to try. He is all I need."

"He has been very happy as well. I've seen a change in him, a good one. He has a ping in his step."

Stacy looked at Ziva. "Spring."

"What?"

"It's a spring in his step not ping."

They both chuckled. "I am happy for both of you." Ziva smiled at Stacy. They chatted for a few more minutes then went their separate ways.

Stacy showed up at Tim's right on time. "Hey you, thanks for letting me come over for a while. I just needed to unwind a bit and didn't want to be alone. I didn't want to be with a bunch of people either. Maybe you can help me go through all the files. You brought them, right?"

Tim grabbed the food from her and put it down. Then he just grabbed her and hugged her so tight for what seemed like five minutes.

"Gee, do you greet all your coworkers like this when they visit?" Stacy always loved teasing him a little.

McGee smiled and stared into her eyes. He brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her; a long but gentle kiss.

"I am definitely coming over more often after work!" She smiled up at him. "Let's eat. I'm starving."

Tim was a bit disappointed, but he was a bit hungry too. "I got a bottle of that red wine you like."

"Aww thank you. You're so sweet. You know just what I need after a long day." She gave him a peck on the cheek and went over to the couch.

She saw he had lit some candles and thought she had smelled them when she walked into his apartment. "You even got the candles I like. Keep this up and I may never leave."

McGee smiled as he walked over with the food. He hoped she didn't have to leave. He never wanted to lose her again.

They made small talk while eating. They started going through all the files taking into account any similarities between these two women. McGee could tell this was getting to her and although he could understand why; he just had a feeling there was more to this than met the eye.

"What is it with this case that is getting to you so bad? I mean I know the obvious, but I can't help but think there is more."

Stacy looked deep into his eyes for a minute before answering him. "The last relationship I was in was not a good one, Tim. He used to hurt me. He tried to control everything I did and when he didn't like something, he'd hit me. He would tell me how stupid and worthless I was. I guess in a way he was right. I was stupid to stay with him as long as I did. I guess after hearing that kind of stuff for so long, you start to believe it."

Hearing Stacy saying this made his blood boil. Who the hell was this guy and how could he hurt her like that?! She was FAR from stupid! She was at least as smart as he was…and even sometimes she knew things he didn't when they were in school. He admired her intelligence. He had always been taken by her beauty, but her mind made for the whole package.

"Stacy, I'm so sorry you went through that. I..."

"It's ok, Timmy. It was a long time ago and I'm over it. It's just seeing those other women reminds me of it sometimes."

"I promise I will NEVER hurt you like that. And I would NEVER tell you that you are stupid."

"I know you won't, Timmy. You're too kind and sweet to be like that. One of the many reasons why I love you."

Oh my god! Did I just say that I love him? Stacy couldn't believe she just blurted it out like that.

Tim blushed a little but just looked her right in the eyes. "I love you too, Stacy."

They kissed and once again it was something brand new. They took their relationship to another level; one which they both wished had happened a long time ago.

"Can I stay here tonight? I don't want to go home." Tim could see almost a sense of urgency in her stare.

"Um, sure. I'll sleep on the couch and you can sleep in my bed." He didn't want to seem pushy by suggesting they share his bed. The last thing he wanted right now was to make her feel uncomfortable with what she just told him.

"No, please don't sleep on the couch. I want you to hold me while I sleep. I feel so safe in your arms. If I have to sleep alone in your room I may as well just go home." Stacy needed to feel him near her tonight to have that feeling of safety and security.

They made their way to the bedroom and got ready for bed. Tim let Stacy borrow a t shirt and a pair of shorts to sleep in. They laid down and she just snuggled up real close to him.

"Good night, Timmy. I love you." He smelled so good. She hoped she could maintain her self-control.

Tim wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

"Good night, Stacy. I love you too." Tim was worried about her. He had never seen her upset like this over anything before. He felt good though about the fact that he made her feel safe.

The two of them fell asleep quickly, both feeling very happy and content being in each others arms.


	4. Chapter 4

Tim woke up the next morning still cuddled up with Stacy. The morning's first light was coming through the blinds and he just watched her sleeping for a few minutes. He could still hardly believe this was real. He was so happy to have her back in his life. And she told him she loves him. He knew it was just going to keep getting better. He kissed her lightly on the cheek and on her neck. She started to stir.

"Good morning, Stacy. I hope you slept well."

Stacy opened her eyes and just looked at Tim for a minute. She smiled and held him tight. "Yes, Timmy. I slept very well, thank you."

They both just smiled and stared into each other's eyes. Tim couldn't help himself any longer and started kissing her; long, deep kisses. He wanted her so badly. He loved her more than he thought he could love anyone. He just hoped she was feeling the same.

Stacy was a bit surprised, but happily so. She could feel in his kiss and the way he was holding her just how much he wanted her; and she wanted him too.

He started undressing her and kissing her neck when his phone rang. It was Tony.

"Tony, this really isn't a good time."

"McGee the Boss wants you in Abby's lab right away she's gonna need your help. Wait, what do you mean it's not a good time? Is Stacy with you? Did I interrupt McSexy time?"

Tim rolled his eyes as Tony started to ramble on. "Let the Boss know I will be down there soon." He hung up and looked at Stacy. He REALLY didn't want to leave.

"Stacy I'm really sorry. Boss needs me to..."

"It's ok, I understand. You go do what you need to do. We will have plenty of time to be together later. I can wait." Stacy was disappointed, but she knew the nature of the job.

Tim kissed her one last time and gave her one last, long look before getting up and going to work.

McGee got to the lab as quickly as he could. "What's up, Abby? Tony called and said you needed my help."

Abby took a moment and took a long look at McGee. She had gotten the heads up from Tony.

"Abby! Why are you just standing there looking at me like that? What's going on?" Tim had a feeling Tony must have said something.

"You didn't have to rush right over, ya know, if you were _busy."_ Abby just smiled at McGee. "But since you are here, we have a mess."

There had been a gang related shoot out and a petty officer had been caught in the crossfire. There was a lot of evidence to go through and in autopsy Ducky and Palmer had the victim.

Abby started going over what she already had with McGee, when Gibbs walked in.

"What do you have, Abbs?" Gibbs looked over at McGee. "Sorry if I pulled you out of bed too early this morning." He smiled at Tim; and Tim knew Tony had gotten to him too.

"No worries Boss. It's all part of the job." He didn't want Gibbs to think his personal life was going to affect his work, because that would not happen.

McGee finished helping Abby and headed up to his desk. He was pretty much dreading it because he knew Tony was going to have something to say.

"Good morning, McStuddly! Sorry I had to bother you so early this morning; or maybe it was so late last night? I didn't realize when Stacy said she was going over that she was staying the night. Didn't think you guys reached that point yet. I must be slipping because I can usually pick up on these things." Tony could tell he was getting under McGee's skin.

"Tony, what I do on my own time really isn't any of your business. But since I know you won't let it go…it was too early this morning, she stayed because she didn't want to be alone, and no you aren't slipping." McGee really hoped Tony would let it go.

"Oh, wow, I am so sorry. Really I am. How long have you two been together now? And still no Hanky-McPanky?" Tony was having too much fun with this.

Ziva could see Tim was getting upset. "Tony, stop. Not everyone gets intimate on the first date. I actually think it is nice that they are taking their time and not rushing into things." She hoped this would help calm McGee down.

"Thank you, Ziva. Stacy is really special to me, Tony. Besides, there are things from her past…ya know I probably shouldn't say anymore. I just know that when the time is right, things will happen. I can wait as long as it takes." Tim didn't feel right talking about Stacy's past. It was her business and she trusted him.

Gibbs walked in and could feel the tension in the room. "Problem?"

"No Boss." Tony and Tim answered together and just looked at each other.

The team spent the rest of the day working their case. After 12 hours it was time to go home.

Tim got to his apartment and found a note on his keyboard.

Timmy,

Went home to shower and change and then it's off to work. Call me when you get

home if it isn't too late. I'll be thinking of you and this morning all day!

I love you!

Kisses,

Stacy

Tim could smell her perfume on the paper. He smiled as he thought back to the early morning and the night before. He wished she was there. He called and they talked for a while. Hearing her voice helped make him feel a little better. It was getting late so they hung up and he went to bed.

A couple days had gone by and they hadn't really talked. They were both busy with work. Tim was at his desk and his cell phone rang, it was Stacy. "Hey, haven't heard from you…"

"Tim, I need you guys to do some more background digging on our victim. We found another one late last night. I NEED to find something on this dirt bag! Fax or email anything over you can get." Stacy sounded really upset. Tim didn't like this.

"Is there anything about this one you can tell me about? It could help us with looking for information for you." He wanted to find this guy just as bad as she did.

"Tim, I knew this girl. We used to be friends a few years ago. I will email everything I have to you. I gotta go. I'll try to call you later. I love you."

"I love you too. Bye." Tim felt like he needed to be with her, but knew she needed his help in other ways right now. He filled the rest of the team in on what was going on. They did what they could to help out and went on with their own work.

A couple more days went by when Stacy showed up at NCIS. They could all see something was wrong. Tim jumped right up when he saw her. "Stacy, what's wrong?"

Gibbs didn't like the look on her face at all. "What is it?"

Stacy was pale and shaking. Looking at her face they could see she had been crying. "Timmy, your email. I sent it to you right away. Fornell is already out looking for him. He needs your help." The look in her eyes was that of pure terror.

Tim went to his desk to check his email while Gibbs walked over to Stacy. He put his arms around her and tried to calm her down. "It's going to be ok. What happened that got you this worked up?"

Tim put the email up on the screen. It was a letter Stacy found at her house that morning.

"Stacy it's been too long. I knew I would find you. The time is almost right for us. Don't try to run and hide. I will find you. You won't get away again."

The team read it and all looked at Stacy. Tim walked over to her and she practically collapsed in his arms. She hated for anyone to see her like this, but she couldn't help it. She looked up into his eyes and he already knew what she was about to say. "It's him, Timmy. He's the one doing all of this. The third victim we found was another ex-girlfriend of his. So were to other two. Tim I'm scared!"

Gibbs looked over at the two of them. "Stacy, are you sure."

"Yes, I am sure. His name is Lee Strode. He abused me when we were together and the other victims too. None of us ever pressed charges. We were all just happy to get away from him; at least Jill and I. Jill was his last victim. He fits the profile." She managed to pull herself together. Falling apart right now wasn't going to help anyone.

Fornell showed up and they all started talking about what they were going to do next. Stacy went to the restroom to clean herself up and calm down. She went back out to see what the plan was.

Fornell and his agents had exhausted the leads they had. The team was doing everything they could to see if they could find anything new. It wasn't looking good.

"Why don't you go see Abby or Ducky for a little bit? We've got everything covered up here for right now; you need a bit to calm down." Gibbs didn't want to tell her yet that he thought she was too close to this. He hoped they would get something while she was downstairs.

"Yeah, ok. I'll go see Ducky for a little bit. Let me know if you find anything." Stacy went down to autopsy. She actually liked the idea of talking with Ducky. She loved listening to all his stories and hoped maybe they would take her mind off of things for a little bit.

Gibbs called ahead to give Ducky a head's up. He had just hung up when Stacy walked in. "Stacy, come sit down. I can't even begin to think what you must be feeling right now."

"Thank you, Ducky." She gave him a hug and sat down. "I thought I was done with this guy. I got away from him and up until this case I hadn't thought of him since then. We need to find him. He needs to pay for what he did to those other women. He is NOT going to get the chance to get me. Not again!"

They sat and talked for a while. They talked about the case. They talked about when she dated Lee. Ducky could see how much pain this was causing her and promptly changed topics to get her mind off of it. Stacy had started to feel a lot better after talking with Ducky.

"I'm going to head back up and see how the team is doing. Thank you, Ducky." Stacy hugged him again.

"Anytime my dear. Jethro and the team will get him. He won't hurt you again." Ducky just hoped they had something good to tell her.

Stacy got back upstairs and was feeling much better than when she got there earlier. She looked at the team who were all working on trying to track Lee down. "Anything?"

Tim was the first one to answer. "No, not yet. His cell is turned off so I can't put a trace on him. Abby has the letter, Fornell brought it with him. She doesn't have much either. We will find him. It's just going to take time."

Tony was on the phone, but on hold. "We got everyone available out there looking for him. They have his plate and description. Like Tim said, we WILL find him, Stacy."

Ziva nodded in response to what Tony had said. "He isn't going to get to you. Do not worry."

It seemed like they had everything covered, but Stacy felt she should be doing something. "What can I do?"

Gibbs looked at Stacy. She seemed more together now than before. "Do you know any of his friends? Maybe we can track him down through some of them."

Stacy sat with Tim and gave him any names she could remember. They couldn't turn anything up anywhere.

"I think we are going to call it a night. We aren't getting anywhere. The FBI is working the case too. Maybe we will get a hit on something tomorrow. Go home; I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be another long day." Gibbs could see that this was wearing on his team.

Everyone was saying their goodnights. Stacy was about to head to the elevator. Gibbs called out to Stacy, "Not you."

Stacy stopped and turned around. "What?" She wondered what else he could have needed from her.

"You aren't going home. He knows where you live. You're going with McGee and you are staying there until we catch this guy." Gibbs was a little hesitant on sending her with McGee given his track record; but he didn't think sending her with Tony would be a good idea.

Stacy just looked at him for a minute. She somewhat resented the fact that Gibbs didn't think she could take care of herself. "I'm not a "real" part of your team. You can't tell me what to do."

Gibbs walked up to her and spoke very quietly, yet sternly. "You're right. But you've been threatened so you need to be in protection. Besides, one of my team members loves you very much. I like you too. So, go with McGee and get some sleep. You'll be back here in the morning."

Stacy looked at Gibbs and could tell she wasn't going to win this one. She also knew he was right. IF anything happened to her, Timmy would be crushed. "Alright, I will go. Thank you." They looked at each other for a moment before Gibbs walked away. He stopped and talked to Tony quick before he left.

Tim and Stacy got back to his apartment. She was a lot more herself than she had been earlier. Tim was still worried though. He wouldn't stop until this guy was caught.

"Are you hungry, Stacy? We can order some take out or something if you want."

"Not really. I just really want to get changed and comfy. Oh great! I don't have any clothes here." Stacy wished that she could have at least stopped at her place to pick up some stuff.

"I'm sorry. We can stop by your place tomorrow and get some of your stuff. For tonight you can just wear something of mine." Tim wanted her to be as comfortable as possible while she stayed with him.

"I guess. I'll go find something in your room. Be right out." She went into his room and closed the door.

Tim sat at his computer and relaxed while waiting for her to come back out. He started playing a game when he heard the shower go on. He figured it would be a little bit before she came out. He was thinking back to the last time she stayed over when his bedroom door opened.

"Oh, Timmy? Is it ok if I wear this?" Stacy was standing against the doorway wearing one of his dress shirts with only the three middle buttons done and one of his ties tied very loosely. She had her hair up and a sexy smile on her face.

"Um, yeah! Wow! I, umm…" Tim was a bit shocked and was stammering trying to find the words he wanted to say. She looked HOT in his shirt.

Stacy just walked over toward Tim and he grabbed her and pulled her the rest of the way over. She straddled him in his chair and they started kissing. Stacy took Tim's shirt off and started kissing him all over. The passion between them was intense. She just started undoing his pants when they heard a noise. They looked over as the door opened and in walked Tony and Ziva. Gibbs had asked that they stop by for a little while to make sure everything was ok.

"Oh my god! Seriously?!" Stacy could not believe that once again, Tony managed to interrupt them, AGAIN! She got up and went into the bedroom and put on a t-shirt and shorts.

"Tony, what are you guys doing here?" Tim picked his shirt up off the floor and put it back on while glaring at Tony.

"The Boss wanted us to stop by for a bit tonight to make sure everything was ok. We checked around outside in the neighborhood before coming up and didn't see anything unusual. You might want to put a sock on the door knob or something next time." Tony actually felt bad for McGee.

"Sorry, McGee. We should have knocked like I wanted to. It was Tony's idea to just let ourselves in." Ziva smacked Tony in the arm.

"It's ok guys. Come on in. Have you eaten yet?" Stacy had come out of the bedroom and was a bit embarrassed. She didn't let it show though.

"I actually ordered some take out while we were on the way. It should be here soon." Tony actually felt a little awkward around Stacy right now after walking in like that.

"Well don't just stand there. Come in and sit down." Tim went to get changed while the other three sat in the living room chatting. The food came and the four of them ate and actually had a good time talking for a few hours.

"It is getting late. We should be going." Ziva was tired from the long day they had, plus she wanted to give Stacy and Tim some time alone.

"Yeah, we should get some sleep. Gonna be a long one tomorrow. We will take one last look around on our way out. Have a good night." Tony gave Stacy a quick hug. "You don't worry. We won't let anything happen to you."

"Good night. Thank you for everything." Even though they had bad timing, Stacy was glad Tony and Ziva had stopped by.

Tim and Stacy crawled into bed, exhausted from the day they had. "Timmy, I'm sorry I started falling apart on you like that earlier. I…"

"Don't. There's no reason for you to apologize. I completely understand your reaction to what is going on. To be honest, I would be more worried about you if you didn't react that way." Tim knew it wasn't like her to show that much emotion in front of people; but he also knew that none of them thought any less of her by her reaction either.

Stacy just looked into Tim's eyes. She could see the love and concern he had for her. "Thank you, Timmy."

"What are you thanking me for?" Tim was a bit confused.

"For loving me. For being here for me. I don't know what I would do right now without you." Stacy wasn't sure what she was more scared of at this point; the fact that her ex was after her, or the fact that for the first time ever she _needed _someone. She never really depended on anyone but herself before.

"You don't need to thank me for that. Of course I am here for you, I love you. I've loved you for a very long time. I was just always afraid to tell you. I'm wishing I had now, maybe then you wouldn't be in the mess you are now." Tim felt a bit of relief wash over him as he confessed how long he had feelings for her.

"Timmy, everything happens for a reason. Some are good ones, some bad; but they all help shape us into who we are. We don't always know the reason, but it's there. I've loved you for a long time too. But who's to say if we had said something back then; the time probably wasn't right. And instead of just losing touch, we could have completely lost each other. The important thing is we are together now." Stacy held Tim tightly and buried her face in his chest.

Tim kissed the top of her head; then pulled her face up by her chin. He cradled her face in his hand and looked deeply into her eyes. He kissed her, softy and sweetly. All the days' events seemed to melt away in that instant. There was just the two of them and nothing or no one else mattered right then. They made love for the first time. It was slow and passionate. The love they had for each other for so long had finally reached a place that neither of them had ever thought would happen. Tim held Stacy close to him for the rest of the night. She fell asleep and he just watched her for about half an hour. She seemed so at peace. She was so beautiful. She was all his.

The next morning Tim woke up and Stacy wasn't next to him. Was it a dream? Then he remembered what happened earlier in the day yesterday and began to panic. He rolled over and saw a note on his night stand. Stacy had gotten a call from Fornell. The FBI had an update in the case and they needed her. She didn't want to disturb him, so she just had Fornell pick her up. She would be at NCIS later. He grabbed his phone and sure enough she had sent him a text right before he woke up. She was with Fornell and his team and she was safe. He got up and got ready for work. Hopefully all this mess would be over with soon and they could get back to "normal" or at least as normal as life could be for two agents.


	5. Chapter 5

The team had been busy working the case all morning; following up on the leads they had gotten from the FBI. There had been another victim found, but there were major differences this time.  
Lee was getting sloppy. He left DNA behind this time. They could tell he didn't take as much time with this one as he had with the others. They still couldn't figure out where he was, but they finally had the positive ID on him through the DNA.

Fornell got off the elevator and started walking over to Gibbs and the team. His face was pale and ashen, something wasn't right. Tim noticed him and started walking over to him. "Where's Stacy? What's wrong?"

Gibbs looked at Fornell and already knew the answer and motioned to Tony to get up in front of McGee, FAST!

"Tim, I'm sorry. I don't know what…" Fornell could barely get the words out before McGee starting freaking out.

"What the hell do you mean you are sorry?! Where IS she? You were supposed to be watching her, protecting her! If ANYTHING happens to her I swear…" Tim was in a full on rage and panic. This could NOT be happening!

Gibbs and Tony grabbed McGee and held him back. None of them had ever seen him like this. Abby and Palmer had come up in the middle of it all and were confused and concerned for their friends. Gibbs motioned to Palmer for his help with Tim.

"McGee, calm down! You don't even know what happened yet. You need to keep a level head to be able to help Stacy. If you can't do that you are off the case. Got it?!" Gibbs could certainly relate to what McGee was feeling right now; but he knew Tim needed to get his head on straight if he was going to be of any help to anyone.

Director Vance heard all the commotion and came to see what was going on. "What is with all the yelling down here?" He glanced at the situation in front of him and pretty much put it together for himself.

"McGee, sit down! Getting fired up like this isn't going to help anyone. Agent Fornell, what the hell is going on?!" Vance did not like the scene that was unfolding here.

Abby and Palmer sat with Tim and tried to calm him down. Palmer knew he would react the same way if it was Breena in Stacy's place. They did their best to try to reassure Tim that Stacy would be found and everything was going to be ok.

The rest of the team talked with Fornell to get the full story of what was going on and what happened to Stacy. They were at the scene where the last victim was found and they were collecting evidence. Stacy had wandered farther than she should have; and the agent watching her had turned his back to her. Next thing they knew, she was gone.

Tim was starting to calm down when he looked at his desk and saw his phone. Stacy had sent him a text early that morning. Maybe she still had her phone with her. He franticly started typing. "McGee what are you doing?" Gibbs heard the typing and walked over to McGee's desk.

"Boss, she had her phone with her this morning. If she still has it and it's still on I can locate her." Sure enough, he was right. He put it up on the big screen. "The signal is coming from just outside of Georgetown. They got the address and geared up. Fornell put a call in to his team and told them where to go.

Gibbs pulled McGee aside before they left. "I need to know your head is in the right place. If you are off your game, someone could get hurt. You sure you're up for this?" He needed to be sure his agent was going to be ok with all of this.

"Boss, Stacy is the love of my life and no one is taking her away from me. I am going to get her back. I'm focused on that." McGee knew Gibbs was only looking out for him, but all he cared about right now was getting Stacy away from that psycho maniac.

Lee had Stacy tied up. He had roughed her up quite a bit as she didn't go without a fight. He was telling her everything he was going to do to her. She was struggling to get free, but it was no use. She was pretty sure her jaw was broken, but talked back through gritted teeth.

"You know you are never going to get away with this, Lee. The FBI and NCIS are on the case and they know it's you. You got sloppy and left your DNA on the last one. You should just give up now. Tim will NEVER let you get away with this!" He hit her in the face for talking back to him.

"It took them long enough to even figure out it was me in the first place. I'll have plenty of time to do what I want to you before they find me. And who is Tim? What is he your new boyfriend?" Lee had no idea she still had her phone on and that the FBI and NCIS were already on their way. Stacy could tell by the look on his face though that she shouldn't have mentioned Tim.

"Tim is an NCIS agent and an old friend. We've known each other since we were kids." She didn't want to see anything happen to Timmy because of her. She didn't know what she would do if she lost him after they finally found each other again.

"Well, your _friend_ isn't going to be able to help you. You are MINE and nothing is going to change that!" Lee was becoming increasingly agitated with Stacy. He hit her again and taped her mouth. He didn't want to hear any more about _Tim_.

Lee took a knife and started cutting Stacy's shirt off. The blade slipped and he cut her. He saw the blood and licked it off of her. Stacy winced and turned away from him. She couldn't stand the sight of him. She just hoped the team would find her soon!

The teams barged through the door. "FBI and NCIS. Put the knife down, Strode." Lee looked at the agents in the room. He quickly moved behind Stacy and put the knife to her throat. Stacy looked and saw Gibbs, Ziva, Fornell and another FBI agent. Where was Timmy? She felt relief and terror all at the same time. She knew one wrong move and he would slit her throat.

"She's MINE! " Lee looked over at the open window. He looked at Stacy, "I WILL find you again." He ran and jumped out the window. The agents shot at him, but only caught his arm as he dove out the window. Fornell and Gibbs ran out after Lee while Ziva and the other agent stayed inside. The FBI agent started gathering evidence while Ziva freed Stacy and called for an ambulance.

"Ziva, where's Timmy?" It hurt for her to talk, but she needed to know Timmy was ok.

"He's outside with Tony. He's fine. Let's get you outside to the ambulance." Ziva wanted to get her away from this place as quickly as possible.

Suddenly they heard several shots fired. Then they heard Tony shout "McGee!" and then more shots. Tony and McGee had seen Lee jump out the window and ran to get him. Lee pulled out a gun and started firing at them. They shot back and he shot again. McGee was down.

Gibbs and Fornell came around the corner right at that moment and they shot at Lee. They both hit him. He was dead. Ziva had gotten Stacy outside when she pulled away and ran to the side of the house. She saw Gibbs, Fornell and Tony kneeling on the ground; then she saw Tim.

"NO! Timmy!" Ziva tried to catch her but she couldn't. Stacy was already kneeling next to Tim. He had been shot in the head. The sirens from the ambulance were getting closer. He still had a strong pulse. She was beside herself seeing him like this. She knew she couldn't move him; but just laid her head on his chest and sobbed. "Timmy, you can't do this to me….you CAN'T DO THIS! Not after all these years. You are NOT leaving me! Do you hear me? I Love you!" Gibbs gently pulled her up as the paramedics were walking over. "Come on, Stacy. Let them do their job. You need to get taken care of too."

"I don't care about me; just make sure they fix Timmy. They need to fix him. He HAS to be ok." Stacy just collapsed in Gibbs arms and Tony was right there to help hold her up.

"Tim cares about you, Stacy and he would want you to take care of yourself right now. Get yourself fixed up and then you can be with him. You two have waited too long for each other for this to be it. Come on I'll go with you." Tony picked her up and carried her over to the ambulance. He knew Gibbs would handle everything with McGee.

Tony stayed with Stacy at the hospital while Ziva and Gibbs were with Tim. He had called Abby and told her they found Stacy, but didn't say anything about McGee. Stacy was wrong about her jaw; it was bruised bad but not broken. She had gotten stitches on her face and her collar bone where Lee had cut her. They had just finished setting and casting her wrist when Abby showed up with Ducky and Palmer.

"Oh my god, Stacy, are you ok?" Abby ran over and hugged her. She was relieved to see she was alert and for the most part ok. She didn't like seeing her hurt like this though.

"Abby, I'm fine. Just some stitches and a broken wrist. But, you need to know…" Stacy was happy to see Abby, even though her hug hurt.

"I'm just so glad Tony called me and told me they found you. Where's Tim?" It was just then that Ducky and Palmer looked at each other, then at Abby, then at Stacy and Tony. Why would Tony be with her and not Tim? Something was wrong, they could all feel it.

"Timmy was shot. I don't know anything else right now until they let me out of here. I am so sorry. If it wasn't for me he wouldn't be hurt…" Stacy began sobbing again. She couldn't help blaming herself for this. He was there because of her. It was all her fault.

"My dear that is absolutely not true. Tim was doing his job. Unfortunately one of the dangers of this job is the possibility of getting hurt. He would not want to hear you blaming yourself for this." Ducky sat next to Stacy and put his arm around her. He knew why she blamed herself, but knew it wasn't her fault.

The doctor came in and cleared Stacy. "Where did they take Timm-ah Special Agent McGee?" There was no way she was going home until she at least knew what was going on with Tim.

"He's on the second floor, surgery. There are a few of your agents up there in the waiting room now." The doctor was going to suggest she go home and get some rest, but knew it would be a waste of time.

"Thank you." They all went up to the waiting room. Gibbs saw them coming and came out. "Stacy, maybe you should go home and get some rest."

"No, Gibbs. I'm not going anywhere until I know Timmy is going to be alright." Stacy was not going to back down this time no matter how hard Gibbs tried.

Gibbs gently hugged her, "Ok, I really didn't think you would listen to me anyway." He managed a slight smile and then pulled away.

"Gibbs, how is he?" Abby was really worried about her friend. All they knew was he had been shot. Stacy and Tony didn't say where or how badly he was hurt.

"Abbs, Tim was shot in the head. The doctors were very optimistic going in, there didn't seem to be any severe damage, but the wanted to remove the fragments so it would cause any problems." Gibbs hugged Abby and walked her into the waiting room. Stacy was a bit relieved at what Gibbs had said. It wasn't as bad as she thought. Timmy would be ok; it would just take time.

Fornell looked up at Stacy and she cut him off before he could even get one word out. "I'm fine Tobias. I am not going home until Timmy is out of surgery and I can see him." She gave him a look and he looked over at Gibbs. Gibbs just nodded and Fornell knew it was better to just not say anything. "I was just going to say I'm glad you are ok."

They were sitting in the waiting room when Sarah got there. "Gibbs is my brother going to be ok?" Sarah looked at Gibbs and could see that it wasn't as bad as she had envisioned on the ride there.

"Sarah, he's going to be fine. They have him in surgery now and he should be out soon. He should be fine in a few weeks." Gibbs gave her a reassuring smile and a hug. Stacy hadn't seen Sarah in years. She couldn't believe how grown up she was.

"Sarah, do you remember me?" Stacy stood up and walked over to her.

"Stacy?! Oh my god, what happened to you? Were you with Timmy when he got hurt?" Sarah couldn't believe Stacy was here. It had been so long. She remembered Stacy was always around when she was growing up. She was Timmy's best friend and became to be like a big sister to her. She always wondered what had happened to her.

"I'm going to be fine, Sarah. We were working on a case. It's a long story. I'm guessing Timmy hasn't gotten around to telling you about us yet." Stacy gave Sarah a hug and managed a small smile.

"Wait, what do you mean _us_? You mean you and Timmy? REALLY! It's about damn time!" Sarah could hardly contain her excitement for her brother and Stacy. Tim had told Sarah how he felt about Stacy and she always figured that Stacy liked him too.

"Yes. It actually all started with Abby. I met her one night and we got to talking and your brother became topic of conversation. I didn't mention him by name, but I was telling her all the same stories Tim had told her about me. She put two and two together and well, that's about it. The rest just fell into place." The two girls were chatting and catching up a little when the doctor came in.

"McGee." He looked at the group gathered in the room and knew he didn't want to give them the news. "Tim is out of surgery and his vitals are strong. There were some complications and we nearly lost him. He should be fine; but I wouldn't be surprised if he is in a coma for a while. Medically we have him induced right now; but I'm not sure how long it will take for him to come back after that."

Gibbs thanked the doctor and shook his hand. "When can we see him?" Stacy and Sarah asked at the same time.

"You can all go in and see him for a few minutes, but then it's going to be family only." The doctor had no idea who he was dealing with.

"These people are his family. I am his sister, this is his…" she looked at Stacy and didn't know what to call her but wanted to be sure she was going to get in to see him after this…"his fiancé, and these are his coworkers who spend a minimum of ten hours a day with him. You need to make sure they are allowed access too." The team looked at Sarah and were grateful that she thought so highly of them. Stacy was a little taken aback at being called Tim's fiancé.

"After you see him check in at the nurse's station and give them your names. But only the people who are here, no one else." The doctor just turned and walked away.

Stacy looked at Sarah, "fiancé, really?" Sarah just smiled back, "I would have said you were his wife but then they would wonder why you weren't the one making all his medical decisions." Stacy hugged Sarah and they all made their way to Tim's room.

The nurse warned them of all the IVs and machines he was hooked up to. Stacy and Sarah walked in first. Stacy took one look at Tim and burst into tears. Tony came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. "He's going to be ok, Stacy." Gibbs was right between Sarah and Abby in case they needed him.

Stacy and Sarah each took one of Tim's hands. Stacy bent down close to him. "You need to get better. We have a lot of time yet left to make up for. I love you." She gently kissed him on the cheek. He very slightly squeezed her hand. They all saw it.

"Tim, you need to get better so we can talk. You need to explain why you didn't tell me Stacy was back. Love you big brother." Sarah gave Stacy a little smile and the two of them backed away so everyone else could have a moment with Tim.

The nurse came in and let them know it was time to let Tim rest. "Come on Stacy, you're with me tonight." Gibbs held out his hand to Stacy. She just gave him a funny look.

"What do you mean I am with you tonight? I'm not in any danger anymore. I can go home." Stacy just wanted to go to her own bed and go to sleep, only because she couldn't go to Tim's.

"Not with a concussion. You need to be monitored. You're coming with me; or I can send you with Tony." Gibbs smiled at her.

"Fine, I'll go with you, but just for tonight." Stacy took his hand.

"Hey, what's wrong with me?" Tony wondered why she opted to go with Gibbs over him.

"Tony, I just don't think it would be right if I stayed with you, that's all. Nothing personal." Stacy looked at Tony hoping he understood. She was grateful that he stayed with her in the ER, but to spend the night at his place, that was not happening.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Tony managed a slight smile and nodded. He knew she was right.

Stacy and Sarah agreed to meet at the hospital in the morning. Everyone went home and tried to get some sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Stacy was trying hard to get some sleep; but it just wasn't happening. She was in too much pain and all the days' events kept playing in her mind. She kept thinking of what could have happened if the team hadn't shown up when they did. She kept seeing the image of Tim lying on the ground and then in the hospital looking so helpless. She heard some noises and decided to see what Gibbs was up to. The sound was coming from the basement.

"Jethro, can I come down?" Stacy stood at the top of the steps waiting for an answer.

"You're supposed to be getting some rest." Gibbs knew she was going to have a hard time tonight.

"I've been trying, but I can't. I'm in a lot of pain and my mind just won't stop." She was tired of waiting for an answer and just went down.

"Didn't they give you meds?" He knew this was another battle he wasn't going to win.

"Yes, but I hate taking stuff like that. I like keeping my head clear." What she really wanted was to be up at the hospital with Timmy. She needed to be sure he was ok.

"I know, I'm the same way. I know you are worried about McGee, but you need to take care of yourself before you can worry about anyone else. Tim would want you to be ok and not worry too much about him." Gibbs walked over and gave her a hug and gave her a shot of bourbon. "Now go upstairs and get some sleep."

"Ok. I'll try." Stacy turned and started going back up the stairs. "What are you building anyway?"

Gibbs smiled, "You'll see when it's finished."

"G'night." Stacy went and laid back down. She tried to forget about everything that happened during the day and focused on happier things. She imagined Timmy was laying with her, holding her. The bourbon helped calm her enough that she fell asleep.

The next morning Stacy and Sarah met up for coffee before going to the hospital. Sarah looked upset and Stacy got nervous. "Sarah, what's wrong? Did something change with Timmy?"

"No, as far as I know he is still the same. It's my father. He's such a JERK!" Sarah had tears in her eyes.

Stacy remembered their father. He was a jerk. He had always wanted Tim to go Navy, but it wasn't what Tim wanted. His father could never accept Tim for the person he was and for the most part they stayed away from each other. "What did he do?" She didn't know if she even really wanted the answer.

"I told him about what happened to Timmy and he pretty much acted like he didn't even care. That's his SON! How can he NOT CARE?! Anyway, he basically said he is going to make it so I am the one in charge of all Tim's medical decisions. I don't want that kind of responsibility."

"Sarah, don't let him get to you like this. I know he upsets you, but Timmy has a lot of people who love him. We will help you through all of this." Stacy thought for a minute. "Give me a minute." She grabbed her cell.

"Gibbs, Sarah and I need to see you. It's really important. Tim is fine, but we really need to see you. Please, can you meet us at the hospital in five minutes? Ok, thanks." She hung up and looked at Sarah. "Gibbs is going to meet us at the hospital. Come on. I think I have a solution." They got up and went to wait for Gibbs.

"Stacy what's up?" Gibbs got there a fast as he could.

Sarah told Gibbs what their father said about Tim the night before. Gibbs looked at the two of them, "So what do you need me for?" He wasn't following.

"I thought there might be a way for you to take over with his medical decisions. Sarah isn't comfortable enough to do it and I'm in no position to be able to do it either." Gibbs could see in her eyes that they needed him to do this.

"I'll put in a call to your father, Sarah and I'll talk to the staff here. We'll work it all out." He hugged them both and kissed them each on the forehead. "Call me later, Stacy. See you later, Sarah." Gibbs left and the girls went to Timmy's room.

They stopped at the nurse's station on the way in to let them know they were there and to get an update. He was still the same. They went into the room and sat on either side of him holding his hands again.

"Good morning, Timmy. I missed you last night. I love you." Stacy stood up and gave him a peck on the cheek. Again, he squeezed her hand just like he did the night before.

"Hey Tim. I hope you are feeling better, you need to get better soon." Sarah hated seeing her brother like this. She hated their father for giving up on him like this. But like she said last night, he had family; and they would all be here for him on his road to recovery. She was especially grateful that Stacy was back in his life. These two were meant for each other; they were soul mates. It was obvious to her when she saw Timmy squeeze her hand both times she had kissed him. He needed Stacy and it was obvious that Stacy needed Tim too. They spent the day there in his room catching up on what was happening in their lives. It was getting to be around supper time and Sarah decided she was going to head home for the night.

"Stacy, call me if there are any changes before you leave."

"I will, Sarah. I'll walk out with you. I could use some fresh air." The two walked out and said good bye to each other. Stacy sat on the bench outside for a few minutes. The breeze felt good after being in the hospital all day. She went back in to sit with Tim. She wondered if anyone else would be up tonight.

Tony walked into Tim's room and saw Stacy sitting in the chair next to Tim and noticed her head on his chest. She was fast asleep and he didn't want to disturb her. He sat on the other side of Tim for a while and decided he should probably wake her up.

Tony placed his hand on Stacy's shoulder and shook her lightly. "Hey, sleepy head. You can't really be comfortable like this."

Stacy jumped a little and Tim squeezed her hand again. "What? Oh, Tony, it's you. How long have you been here?" She was still in a bit of a sleepy daze.

"I've been here about an hour. You were asleep when I got here and I didn't want to disturb you. He squeezed your hand again." Tony took it as a good sign that Tim kept somewhat responding to Stacy's presence.

"Oh, yeah, he did earlier to when I got here. I think he knows I'm here. I wish I didn't have to leave him." Stacy hated the thought of Tim being alone there all night.

Gibbs, Abby and Ziva showed up together. "You're still here Stacy?" Gibbs wasn't really surprised, but wished she would get some rest. "Why don't you let Tony take you home so you can get some sleep?"

"I actually took a nap. Tony showed up while I was sleeping." Stacy just looked at Gibbs and knew he was right. She needed to get some rest. "You're right though. I should go get some rest." She took Timmy's hand again and kissed him good night. Again, he squeezed her hand. "I love you, Timmy. Good night."

They got to Tony's car. "So, where do you live? I have no idea where I am going."

"Actually, I was thinking. You have a key to Tim's place, right? Can you bring me there? If I can't be with him I at least want to be somewhere that reminds me of him." Stacy hoped Tony didn't think she was weird for wanting to go to Tim's apartment.

"Yeah, I have one. I guess McGee wouldn't mind you staying there for tonight." Tony was little worried about Stacy. She was taking this really hard.

They got to McGee's apartment after a pretty quiet ride. "Do you need me to walk up with you?" Tony knew McGee would want someone to look out for Stacy.

"No thank you, Tony. I appreciate the offer. I just need to get some sleep. Do you have the key?" Stacy was beyond exhausted and she just wanted to curl up in Timmy's bed and go to sleep.

"Yeah, here." Tony took the key off his key ring. "Why don't you keep it? You'll get more use out of it than I will. And then you won't have to worry about me barging in on you two McLoveBirds anymore." He laughed a little as he handed it to her.

Stacy smiled as she took the key. "Thanks, Tony. You are a good friend to Tim. And you've been good to me too. Good night." She opened the car door and got out.

"Good night, Stacy. Sleep well." Stacy closed the car door and Tony watched as she went inside; then he drove away.

Stacy got into Tim's apartment and went straight into his bedroom. The shirt he had been wearing the night before last was sitting on the edge of the bed. She held his shirt up to her face and could smell him on it. She started to cry; wishing this was all really just a bad dream. She wanted him to come through the door. She wanted to feel his arms around her. He did keep squeezing her hand though; she knew that he could feel her when she was there. She got undressed and put his shirt on. She got into bed and thought of Timmy until she fell asleep.

The next few days went by pretty much the same. Sarah and Stacy would meet in the morning and spend few hours at the hospital together; then Stacy was alone until someone else would show up. She usually ended up asleep with her head on his chest for an hour or two a day.

About a week went by and there were still no significant changes. He did have some response to pain and other stimuli which was a very good sign. There was also spontaneous eye opening. Stacy had spent so much time there all the staff on the floor knew who she was. She took the time to do special hand exercises for him to try to keep them from stiffening and curling up as can happen with someone in a prolonged coma. She also did therapy on his legs too, to prevent blood clots from forming. The nursing staff was thankful she was willing to help out with things like that. It made their job a little easier.

One night it was getting late and no one from the team had shown up. She figured they must have a case they were working on. She was getting ready to leave as always; and gave Timmy a kiss on the cheek as usual. The alarm on the monitors started beeping and she wondered what was happening. He was waking up!

"Doctor he's waking up!" Stacy yelled out into the hallway. The doctor and nurses came in and she backed out of the way to let them work. The doctor explained to Tim where he was and what had happened. They saw he was breathing fully on his own now; so they took him off the ventilator. One of the nurses motioned over to Stacy to come over. "Timothy, there is someone here who has been taking care of you this whole time." She smiled at them both and moved so Stacy could get next to Tim.

"Hey Timmy, you gave us all quite a scare." Stacy took his hand as she had every other time and smiled at him through teary eyes.

"Stacy, what are you doing here? Where's Gibbs, Tony, Abby?" Tim was appreciative that Stacy was there; but he seemed to be really confused.

"I'm going to call them in a few minutes, Timmy. I just wanted to make sure everything was ok first." Stacy figured he would be a little confused, but something seemed off.

McGee looked at Stacy and saw the bruises on her face and the cast on her arm. "What happened to you? Are you ok?" He seemed genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine, Tim. Lee roughed me up a little, but it'll heal." Stacy wondered if she really should be talking about this with him.

Tim took a long look at Stacy. He remembered them working a case together, that must be how she got hurt. But there was something else. He couldn't really put his finger on it. He thought she was really pretty. Maybe he was going to ask her out or something before he got hurt. Things were a bit fuzzy.

"I'm going to go call Gibbs so he can let everyone know you are awake. I'll be right back." Stacy went to kiss him on the cheek and he pulled away and let go of her hand.

"Yeah, why don't you call them, please?" Why was she trying to kiss him? He was really confused.

Stacy's eyes were filling with tears. Tim didn't remember her. Well he did, but not entirely. He knew her name. He seemed to remember that they worked together; but that was it. She whispered "I love you" as she walked away. She didn't think he heard her though.

She got outside and was on the phone with Gibbs. "Jethro, you and the team need to come right away. I already called Sarah." She was crying and Gibbs thought something bad had happened.

"What is it, what's wrong with McGee?" Tony and Ziva heard that and came right over to Gibbs' desk.

"He's ok. He's awake. He doesn't remember me Gibbs. I don't know what to do." Stacy was so upset she felt sick. After all these years she finally had the man she wanted and now he didn't know who she was.

"We'll be right up. Thanks for calling." Gibbs hung up the phone and called down to Abby to let her know and asked her to tell Ducky and Palmer.

"Boss, what is it?" Tony was worried. He heard Gibbs tell Abby Tim was awake, but knew there was more.

"He doesn't remember her Tony. She's really upset." Gibbs wanted to get up there to comfort Stacy. He knew she was going out of her mind.

Stacy was waiting by the elevator when they got there. "Jethro!" Stacy began crying and hugged Gibbs. "He remembers working with me, but he doesn't remember us being together. Why is this happening?" Gibbs didn't know what to say and just hugged her back.

Ducky placed a hand on her shoulder; his heart went out to her. "Stacy, sometimes after a coma, a person's memory is a bit scattered. I'm sure he will remember everything soon. Try not to let it get to you."

The team went over to Tim's room. Sarah was already in with him. She came out to be with Stacy while everyone else was in there.

"Stacy, I know you are upset but don't worry, Timmy will remember you. If it's any consolation, he thinks you're really pretty and thinks he was going to ask you out." Sarah smiled at Stacy hoping this would cheer her up. "He may not remember loving you, but he still does. Trust me. He even asked me if I thought you would say yes if he asked."

Stacy hugged Sarah. "Thank you. That does help a little. I just want him to get better."

"Stacy, Tim's asking for you." Palmer had stuck his head out the door way to let her know.

Stacy walked in and went over to Tim's side. He reached over and took her hand. "I'm sorry for before. I'm just a little confused over everything going on right now. I hear you've been here every day and even helped the staff take care of me." There was a sparkle in his eyes and it made Stacy want to melt. She was almost a stranger to him, but she could see something trapped behind his eyes trying to get out.

"You heard right. I just wanted to make sure you were ok. You owe me dinner." Stacy just smiled at Tim.

Tim looked at Stacy and seemed confused. "I owe you dinner?"

"Yeah, you asked me out before all of this happened and I said yes. So you need to get better so we can go out." Stacy hoped she was doing the right thing.

Tim didn't remember asking her out; but sure wouldn't mind going on a date with her. "Well, then I guess I need to get some rest then. I have a date to get better for."

Everyone said good night and they were getting ready to leave. Tim called out to Stacy, "Wait, Stacy. Come here."

She walked back over. He took her hand and squeezed it. Then he pulled her close and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you for being here for me."

Stacy looked at him for a moment. "No need to thank me. That's what friends do." She kissed on the cheek and left with everyone else.

Stacy went to sleep that night relieved that Timmy was going to be ok. She just hoped he got his memory back soon. The fact that he didn't remember that they were in love was killing her. She waited so long for him. She loved him so much.

The next couple of weeks went by so slowly. Stacy still spent all her time at the hospital helping McGee get better. He found himself looking forward to her coming to see him every morning. He liked having her around. She made him laugh. He felt good when she was around. He still couldn't understand why she invested so much time in him. He wasn't going to complain though.

Stacy was getting ready to leave one night. Tim really didn't want her to go. He was starting to have real feelings for her. "I wish you didn't have to go. It's lonely here at night when I can't sleep. I'm glad you've been here with me. It's definitely made it more bearable being in here." He held her hand and looked into her eyes. He felt like he had done this before. There was so much he couldn't remember from long ago and it was really starting to get to him.

"I'm glad to be of some use." Stacy laughed a little and looked right back into his eyes. "If you want, I can stay with you for a while when you get out of here to give you some extra help." She hoped she wasn't being too pushy.

"That's really nice of you to offer. Thanks. I might take you up on that." Tim was a bit unsure of it, but would certainly consider it.

They said their good nights and Stacy left for the night.

Sarah took Stacy out for the night to let her know how much she appreciated everything she was doing for Timmy. She felt awful for her that Timmy still couldn't remember everything. She hoped he would get his memory back soon.

"Sarah, have you noticed any changes in Timmy lately?" Stacy had noticed a change in him over the past few days, and it wasn't really a good one.

Sarah was a little puzzled. "What do you mean changes?" She hadn't really noticed a difference, but she didn't spend nearly as much time with him as Stacy had.

Stacy thought maybe she was imaging things. "He just seems to have this mean streak in him. He gets so frustrated so easily and he lashes out. It's probably nothing. He probably just needs to get out of the hospital." At least that was what she was hoping. They were getting ready to leave the restaurant when Tony showed up.

"Evening ladies. Hope you aren't leaving on my account." He smiled at them as he sat down.

"I have a big day tomorrow, I should really get going." Sarah said good night and left.

"I suppose I can stay for a little bit longer." Stacy was just going to go back to Tim's and go to sleep. It was nice to be out though, so she figured it couldn't hurt if she hung out with Tony.

They talked about the changes Stacy had seen in McGee over the past few days, and Tony agreed it was probably just because he was cooped up in the hospital. He couldn't imagine what it must be like for Stacy though. He knew how much McGee meant to her, but Tim didn't remember that they were together. They spent the next couple of hours just talking about McGee and movies. Tony enjoyed her company and could see why McGee loved her so much, even if he didn't remember.

"Do you need a ride home?" Tony didn't know if Sarah and Stacy had come together or not.

"No, I have my car. But thank you." Stacy was tired and wanted to go back to Tim's.

"I'll walk you out to your car then." Tony paid the bill for the drinks they had. Stacy thanked him. She didn't expect that.

They walked out to Stacy's car. "Thanks for walking me to my car Tony. Good night." Stacy gave Tony a hug. As she pulled away he held her and looked at her for a minute. Before they realized what was happening their lips had almost met.

"Tony, what the hell are you doing?" Stacy pushed him away and just stared at him. "I love Timmy. What are you thinking?"

Tony just looked at Stacy for a minute. "Stacy, I am so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. That was really wrong of me. You needed a friend to confide in and a shoulder to cry on and I almost took advantage of that. I swear that will NEVER happen again." He couldn't believe he had done that. McGee was his friend. They were like brothers. And here he was trying to put moves on his girl while he was stuck in the hospital.

"It's ok Tony. You got carried away and caught up in the moment. No hard feelings. But I do have to go now. Good night." Stacy got in her car, started it up and drove away.

Tony went home and felt awful about what almost happened. He hoped Stacy wasn't angry with him. She was a good person and he hoped that they could be friends. He vowed to himself not to let anything like that happen again.


	7. Chapter 7

Stacy got up to the hospital the next morning and Tim had good news; they were sending him home. She was happy that he was getting out, but wondered what this was going to mean for their relationship. She thought maybe once he got back home something might trigger his memory. But what if that didn't happen? She hated the thought of losing him. She spent the last couple of nights doing a lot of thinking and soul searching. She had finally come to a decision. If Timmy did get his memory back, and things did not happen for them as far as a relationship; she would do the only thing she could do. She would let him go. The very thought of it killed her, but his happiness meant more to her than her own. She loved him that much.

Tim had gotten his discharge orders and got his things in order. He was looking forward to getting out of there. He thought maybe when he got home; something might trigger the memories that were trapped deep in his mind.

"Are you ready to go home?" Stacy and the nurse came into the room. Stacy knew that being stuck there all this time had to be getting to Tim. Maybe that was part of the reason he was so edgy. Getting back home and more into his normal day to day life might be just what he needed to remember and get back to the Timmy she had always known.

"Yeah, let's get out of here." Tim reluctantly got into the wheel chair so they could bring him downstairs. He tried telling them he could walk, but it was hospital policy. "Maybe we can stop by the office too on the way."

"Sorry, Tim. Doctor said no work for at least another week or two." Stacy grabbed his things so they could head out.

McGee was a little annoyed with Stacy's answer. "I hope you don't think you will be bossing me around and watching my every move until then."

Stacy hated how he got short with her so frequently. "I'm only trying to help. I'll back off if that is what you want me to do." She was trying hard to hide that she was upset.

They got back to Tim's apartment and Stacy helped him bring his stuff up. He was just glad to be home. He was looking forward to having some time to himself without having someone watching over his shoulder every second of the day.

He went into his room and noticed some of Stacy's stuff there. "Why is your stuff in my apartment? Have you been staying here while I was in the hospital?" He seemed a bit upset and Stacy didn't know what to say.

"I stayed here off and on just to keep an eye on things for you." She realized her excuse was pretty lame, but what else could she say?

McGee grabbed her stuff and moved it to the couch. "Make sure you don't leave anything behind." He seemed to be getting more and more agitated.

"I'm sorry; I'll make sure I get it all. I guess you won't be needing my help like we had talked about?' Stacy was on the verge of tears. It took everything she had not to cry.

"Whose candles are these?" Stacy was trying to figure out how to tell him he bought them for her.

"You bought those a few weeks ago." Why did she say that? She should have just said they were his.

"Why would I have bought these?" He was confused again and getting more aggravated.

"Because you knew they are my favorite." Stacy was starting to feel uneasy.

"Ok, how would I know they are your favorite and no offense, but why would I care?" Tim was starting to get angry. He was angry that Stacy was at his apartment while he was in the hospital. He was upset that he couldn't remember things. He was starting to wonder if she was messing with his mind.

"Umm, you know it really isn't important. I'm going to head out and let you have some time to yourself. If you need anything call me." Stacy just wanted to get out of there at this point. She grabbed her stuff and headed toward the door.

Tim called to Stacy as she opened the door, "You forgot your candles."

"I'll get them next time. Take care, Tim." Stacy just kept going. She wasn't expecting to hear the sound of glass breaking.

"Don't worry I took care of them for you." Tim yelled to Stacy through the door.

Stacy got to her car and just started to cry. Why was Timmy being like this? She understood he was frustrated, but this was NOT like him AT ALL. How much longer was he going to be like this? Was it going to get worse before it got better? She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to upset him anymore than he already was; but she didn't want to completely back away either.

Gibbs met up with Stacy for coffee. She had called him when she got home. She didn't know who else to turn to. She didn't want to upset Sarah and she knew Gibbs would have some good advice for her. At least she hoped he would. She told him about the recent incidents including when she brought Tim home.

"What am I going to do? The doctor said to try not to push the past on him too much. He's starting to scare me a little." She could hardly believe she would ever think that way about Tim. He was always the one who could make her feel safe. Now she felt like she was walking on eggshells around him.

Gibbs took a long look at Stacy. He had a hard time believing that McGee would be acting like this; especially toward her. But he was still recovering from head trauma, and sometimes this kind of behavior went along with the process.

"You know this isn't really him. I'm sure it will get better. Maybe you should just give him some time. Once he gets his full memory back; you two will be right back where you were." Gibbs could tell by the look on Stacy's face that she was not satisfied with that answer. He put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. "McGee loves you, and in time he will remember. Trust me."

"I hope you are right. Thanks." Stacy smiled at him and tried not to let him see that she really didn't feel any better about the situation. They talked for a little longer and then Stacy went home.

A few days went by and Stacy hadn't heard from Tim. She was worried about him. She was worried about losing him; maybe she already had. She didn't want to be too pushy; so she just sent him a text to say hi. After a couple hours, she figured he wasn't going to answer.

Tim was struggling trying to figure out why he could remember some things, but not everything. He was really starting to like Stacy, but he felt like she was holding something back. He got the impression she really liked him too. What was missing? He felt bad about how he treated her when she brought him home from the hospital. She had given all her time to helping him recover and didn't seem to want anything in return. He wanted to call her, but worried after his actions, that she wouldn't want to talk to him. He got a short text from her and he thought maybe there was still hope. He waited before he made his move. Then, he called her. She didn't answer; but he took the chance and left her a message.

"Stacy, I'm really sorry about the other day. I was a real jerk. Let me make it up to you. Why don't you come over tonight? I do still owe you dinner, so I figure we can do that. Bye"

Stacy listened to his voice mail over and over. She really wanted to go over, but was nervous because she didn't know what would set him off again. She was so torn. She finally called him back and said she would be there. She missed him and wanted to see him. She just hated that she had to act like they were just friends.

Tim was starting to get worried that Stacy had changed her mind when he heard a knock on the door. He opened the door and seeing her almost took his breath away. She was wearing a little red dress and had her hair and make-up done really nice. She looked so pretty. He couldn't help but think he'd seen her like this before.

"Wow, Stacy, you look really nice. Come on in." He felt his heart almost skip a beat. He had been so mean to her the last time he saw her, yet she took the time to look so pretty for him. "Thank you for coming tonight, I didn't think you would after…"

Stacy stopped him before he could finish his statement. "Tim, it's ok. You have been through a lot and you are going to get frustrated from time to time. I understand." Even in her heels she had to get on her tip toes to kiss him on the cheek.

Tim felt lucky to have her as a friend. He had been so mean to her the last few times he saw her. She was such a good person. He wanted tonight to be a new beginning. He was determined to have a good night with her.

They sat and talked for a while and had dinner. Stacy had to keep reminding herself not to bring up the past. They spent a few nice hours together and she decided she better go since it was getting late.

"It's starting to get late, Timmy. I should probably head home." Stacy wished she could stay, but knew it was _too soon_.

"Yeah it is pretty late. I'll walk you to the door." Tim was happy that they had a good night.

They walked to the door and Stacy turned and looked at Tim. She could see in his eyes that he was still struggling with everything. Hoping she wasn't doing the wrong thing, she hugged him. He gladly reciprocated and held her tight. As they pulled away she kissed him. Tim just looked at her. She thought she might have made a mistake; but then he pulled her back to him and kissed her; a small, but very sweet kiss.

"Good night, Timmy. Thank you for dinner. I hope we can do this again sometime." She just smiled at him.

"Good night, Stacy. You're welcome. I would like to do this again; soon." Stacy turned and opened the door. Tim watched as she walked down the hallway and out of his sight.

He closed the door and had a really good feeling about the night they just spent together. He was able to keep his frustration and his temper in check. He kept having feelings of almost like a déjà vu a few times throughout the evening. The only thing he knew for sure was that he really, really liked having Stacy around. He was going to try hard not to mess this up.

Stacy went home and got ready for bed. They spent a wonderful night together and the sweet Timmy she had always known seemed to be on his way back. He wasn't short with her at all. She was determined to try to find a way to get him to remember what they had.

Sarah decided to go see her brother and see how he was doing. She was hoping he was remembering more, but part of his memory was still blocked. He was happy to see his sister and get out for a while. While they were driving, he thought one of the buildings seemed familiar. Sarah told him that Stacy lived there. He wasn't sure how he would know that; but just figured he brought her home one night from work or something. He still couldn't remember much about the night he got shot. He hoped maybe Sarah could fill in some of the blanks. She told him what she had been told about that night and what had happened. As she was telling him he was getting memory flashes from the days leading up to that night. He remembered Stacy showing up at NCIS. He remembered her being so scared and that he was trying to protect her.

He looked at Sarah; "So it was Stacy's ex who shot me?" The memories were getting fuzzier again and he was getting frustrated.

"Yes. He kidnapped Stacy and you and the rest of your team and the FBI went to save her. He hurt her pretty bad. But you guys did save her." Sarah didn't like the look in her brother's eyes. She could sort of see what Stacy had talked to her about. "Are you ok, Tim?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Can you do me a favor? Instead of bringing me home can you drop me off at Stacy's?" He wanted to see if he could get more information from Stacy. She could probably help clear up some of the memories he was having.

Sarah wasn't sure this was going to be a good idea and told him so. She did not like his response at all.

"If you don't bring me there I will just drive myself." Tim knew telling Sarah that would get him what he wanted. Sarah knew he still wasn't allowed to drive.

"Ok, Timmy. Just don't get to crazy over all of this. It's done and over with now." Sarah didn't like what she was seeing.

"What do you mean it's done and over with? I can't remember parts of my life and you think this is ok? It is far from done and over with. One way or another I am going to find someone to tell me the truth about all of this." Tim was pretty much yelling at Sarah now. She brought him to Stacy's and headed home. She sent Stacy a text as soon as Tim got out of the car to let her know what was going on.

Stacy was on her way home when she got the text. She was a bit worried what she was going home to; but if Tim was determined to know the whole truth; she was going to tell him.

She got to her apartment and Tim was sitting by her door. "Stacy, we need to talk." Tim's tone was stern. Stacy didn't like where this was going already.

"Ok Tim, Come on in." Stacy let him in and they sat on the couch and started talking about the case.

He wanted to know how she had come to work on it with NCIS. She told him she had worked on the case with the FBI and when it crossed into NCIS jurisdiction, she helped them too.

"Why did you come to us when you found out he was your ex? I started to remember a little about that day. You showed up and you were so scared. You were clinging on to me; why?" Tim was determined to get all his questions answered once and for all.

"Timmy, I probably shouldn't tell you this…" He cut her off.

"I am really getting sick and tired of people telling me what they should and shouldn't say or do around me. Tell me what is going on! I NEED to know!" He had a firm hold on her arms and was yelling in her face by this point.

"I came to you because; you and I…" He cut her off again.

"Just come out and say it Stacy!" Tim was on the verge of losing it.

"You are my boyfriend, Timmy. We've known each other since grade school. We've loved each other since high school. We lost touch after we both left for college and then one night I met Abby. She and I got to talking and I was telling her all about you; but I never said your name. She figured out it was you because you used to tell her about me. We told her all the same stories. She brought us back to each other. I had actually first told you about my ex one night at your apartment. At that point I had no idea he was the psycho we were after. As soon as I found out he was after me; I came to you. Then he got me. Then you and the team and the FBI saved me and you got hurt. I am so sorry he hurt you, Timmy. I never wanted anything to happen to you."

Hearing this had all sorts of memories going through his mind. It was too much for him to handle at once. Stacy had been trying to protect him from all of this, and instead he forced her to tell him. At least now he knew why she was there every day in the hospital. They were together. And he couldn't remember. This made him feel even worse. He could only imagine how awful this must have all been for Stacy. It all was too much, too soon and he lost control.

"**SO THEN THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT. HE SHOT ME BECAUSE I WAS WITH YOU. YOU FELT GUILTY SO YOU STAYED AT THE HOSPITAL THE WHOLE TIME.** **I CAN'T BELIEVE I FELL FOR THAT STUPID ****_I OWED YOU DINNER_**** THING. I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA IF YOU JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!" **Tim was screaming at her. He was trying really hard to force all the memories to come back. He then did something he regretted immediately. He shoved her away from him and she hit the wall. She looked up at him from the floor and there was a look of terror in her eyes. He knew he had to leave.

"Timmy, please. I didn't stay at the hospital because I felt guilty; I was there because I love you." Stacy was shaking and crying. This was not the Tim she had known most of her life. She knew she shouldn't have told him everything; but she felt like she had no other choice.

"Stacy, I…let me help you up." He offered his hand to her and she flinched. "Maybe I should just go." With that he left her apartment. He didn't live too far from her and thought it would do him some good to walk for a bit anyway.

Stacy called Gibbs and told him what happened. She never thought Timmy would do something to hurt her. She didn't know him anymore. Everything in her life had been coming together so well; and now it was all falling apart. Gibbs told her to stay put and he would try to take care of things. He went to Tim's apartment.

Tim took the long way home. He felt awful. What did he just do? He made Stacy tell him everything and then he blew up on her. He knew he was wrong. She said she loved him. How serious of a relationship did they have before this happened? He knew her since they were kids. Why couldn't he remember all of this? What was he going to do to try to fix the damage he just caused? He wouldn't blame her if she never spoke to him again.

He got to his apartment and Gibbs was waiting inside. "Boss, what are you doing here?" McGee had no idea Stacy had called him.

"McGee, what the hell are you doing? Stacy called me and said you flipped out on her. You made her tell you everything that had happened and then you blamed her for it. It's not her fault." Gibbs could see by the look on McGee's face that he already realized this.

"I know. I was wrong. I shouldn't have made her tell me everything. I shouldn't have taken it out on her. She told me that we were together and I feel awful that I can't remember that. I mean, since I woke up and have spent time with her; I've known there was something there, but I wasn't sure what. She deserves better than this. I don't know if I can ever fix what I've done. I can't imagine how she must have been feeling with me not remembering about us." McGee had tears in his eyes; but he didn't dare cry in front of Gibbs.

"Tim, you need to give her some time. She loves you. She isn't going to give up on you. Take some time for yourself and cool down and then think of what you can do to fix this. I wouldn't make a move right away; but don't wait too long. You don't want to let this one get away. You two are good together. She brings out a lot of good in you. If you don't fix this, you are going to regret it for the rest of your life." Gibbs looked at McGee and saw how upset he was. He knew he needed some time alone. "If you need to talk, you know where to find me." Gibbs left.

Tim went into his room and sat on his bed. He started having more memory flashes. He remembered Stacy spending the night with him. He remembered holding her all night while they slept. He laid down and cried until he fell asleep.

Stacy needed some time to think. She decided to go visit her aunt in Connecticut for a couple of weeks. She needed to put some distance between her and Tim. She wasn't ready to give up on him; but she just couldn't deal with him right now. This was going to take some time to get over. She sent him an email before she left.

Timmy,

I am going away for a couple of weeks. I think we need to just step back and take a break from one another right now. I know you didn't mean the things you said and did, but I just need some time. I know you do too. I'm hoping thing will be better when I get back. Please don't try to contact me. I will let you know when I am ready to talk. Take care of yourself and know that even through all of this; I do still love you.

Stacy

Tim got the email from Stacy and felt numb after he read it. She was going away and he was to blame. He kept playing back the things Gibbs had said to him. He needed to fix this. He thought maybe she was right and they just needed a little bit of time and space. She did say that she still loves him. He now knew that deep inside he loved her too. The feeling that he couldn't explain, it was his love for her; but because he couldn't remember their relationship it didn't seem to make sense. He knew these next couples of weeks were going to be long ones.


	8. Chapter 8

Tim looked forward to getting back to work. He needed some kind of distraction to keep his mind off of Stacy. He hated himself for what he did to her and for driving her away. Getting back to "normal" life was what he needed right now.

The team was happy to see him back. The work load was pretty light, which was good so he could ease his way back in. For the time being, he was not to go out in the field. He would stay in house and help Abby. This was fine by him. He didn't want to push himself into doing too much, too soon.

A call came in for a dead marine and Gibbs, Tony and Ziva went out. McGee headed down to the lab. Abby was so happy to see him back.

"McGee!" Abby ran up and hugged him. "I'm so glad you are back! I've missed you. How are you feeling? How's Stacy? I haven't heard from her lately. Have you been keeping her busy nursing you back to health?" She gave him that little Abby smile and arm jab. She didn't like the look on his face. She REALLY wasn't ready for what he was about to tell her.

"Abby, Stacy isn't here. She went to visit her Aunt in Connecticut." McGee couldn't even look at Abby.

"What do you mean she isn't here? Why would she leave? Is her Aunt ok?" Abby was worried about Stacy. She had already gone through so much with getting hurt and taking care of Tim. Now something was wrong with her Aunt too.

"Her Aunt is fine Abby. She went to get away from me. Abby, I REALLY screwed up. I don't know what I am going to do to fix what I did. I don't know Abby. I may have lost her." McGee just looked at the floor.

"What do you mean you screwed up? What could you have possibly done to make her want to leave? McGee? What is going on?" Abby felt bad for Tim. She never saw him like this. She couldn't imagine him doing anything to drive someone away.

"After I woke up, I was really confused about a lot of things. There were a lot of things I couldn't remember. I didn't remember being with her. But she stayed by my side. I kept getting so frustrated." McGee didn't know how to tell Abby about the things he said and did to Stacy after he got out of the hospital.

"Well, of course, you were shot. It's going to take time for everything to come back to you. I thought she knew that. And of course you are going to get frustrated. I would too. But she shouldn't just leave because you don't remember." Abby was getting upset and a bit confused now. Stacy didn't seem the type to bail on someone when they needed her. What was McGee hiding from her? This was not making any sense to her.

"Abby, it's not Stacy; it's me. I was saying such mean and awful things to her. When she brought me home from the hospital I pretty much threw her out of my apartment. I made her tell me everything that happened when I got shot. That is when I found out she and I had actually been together. I _blamed _her for what happened. I lost control. I shoved her into a wall. I was a monster, Abby. I should have never treated like that. She didn't do anything wrong. Now she is gone and I can't figure out what to do to make up for it." McGee had tears in his eyes as he told Abby about everything he had done.

Abby just stood there silently staring at McGee. She heard the words; but couldn't believe it. McGee would never do these things. But he did. She could see by the look in his eyes that he was ashamed of what he had done and that he sincerely wanted to make things right. How could he blame Stacy for what had happened? And he got violent?! That really weighed heavily on Abby. That was one thing she could not stand. People who love each other should NEVER be violent to one another.

She took a deep breath before she spoke. She needed to maintain her composure. She spoke softly, but sternly to him. "How could you, McGee? That girl spent her every waking moment at the hospital while you were in your coma. She was beside herself. She already blamed herself for what happened." She was getting louder as she spoke. "Do you have any idea what she put herself through? It took all of us talking to her to convince her that it wasn't her fault. She gave up EVERYTHING to take care of you. You put your hands on her?! What the HELL is the matter with you?" Abby was just glaring at him now. She can't believe she was just feeling sorry for him a few minutes ago.

"Abby, I know, I know. I'm not proud of what I did. Abby, I NEED to fix this. What can I do?" Tears began rolling down his face. Seeing Abby like this and hearing these words only made him realize more how wrong he was.

"McGee, I don't know if you _can _fix this. I don't even know if I can work with you right now. I NEVER thought you would do something like this. You need to just give her time. Maybe she will come around. Maybe she won't. If she doesn't, you only have yourself to blame. You brought this on yourself. I think you need to go find something else to do for now; because I can't even look at you right now. I don't even want to be in the same room with you right now." Abby turned her back to him. She didn't want to hear another word from him.

McGee just stood there for a minute. He didn't know what to do. "Abby, I'm…I…" He just didn't know what to say. Abby had always been there for him. Now she couldn't even stand to be in the same room with him.

"I said go away! I don't even know you right now. LEAVE ME ALONE!" Abby would not even look at him. She just needed him to leave.

Abby called Stacy. She needed to know she was ok. She felt horrible that her friends were going through this. She also wondered why Stacy didn't come to her about this. She thought they were close.

"Abby, I didn't know what to do. I was so scared. I talked to Gibbs. I thought maybe giving Timmy and I some time and space might be the right thing to do. To be honest; I really didn't want you to know about what he had done. You two have such a special connection. I didn't want to ruin that. I know you have been there for each other through a lot. I couldn't be the one to tell you. I'm sorry." Stacy really had hoped Abby never knew about this. Of course, if things didn't end up working out, she probably would. Tim _needed_ a friend right now. Stacy knew that Abby was the friend he needed.

"Stacy, you need to stop playing yourself like that bad guy here. You're not. I know you don't want to damage McGee's reputation; but he's the one doing it; not you. I chased him away when he first told me. I couldn't deal with it right away. I know he needs his friends right now. I am going to be here for him. I am going to do EVERYTHING I can to try to get him past all this. I am going to do my absolute best to get him back to you. He _NEEDS_ you; and you need him. I don't know why this is all happening; but I just KNOW somehow; you two are going to get past this. You have to! If anyone can find a way to get past this and move on it's the two of you. You are a perfect fit for each other. Don't give up on him."

Abby started feeling a little bit better about herself. Even though she was still upset with McGee for what he had done; she was still pleading his case to Stacy. She needed for them to have their "happily ever after". They deserved that. Stacy assured Abby she wasn't giving up on Tim. She just needed some time.

McGee got back to the bullpen. The team was back. Gibbs looked at McGee and knew something was wrong. "Boss, I think I came back too soon. I need another day or so…" Gibbs already figured McGee wasn't ready yet.

"Go home, McGee. When your head isn't in the game you aren't doing us any good. Go do what you need to do to straighten things out. We'll be here when you are ready." He knew McGee still had way too much going on to be able to do his job and do it well. He had been there himself. If your head isn't in it; it doesn't help anyone.

After McGee left; Tony asked Gibbs what was going on. He could see Tim wasn't himself. He remembered the talk he and Stacy had about McGee acting different. Tony hoped this wasn't going to be a permanent change. McGee had become to be like a brother to him. He couldn't imagine not having the McGeek back the way he had always been.

"Ya know, Boss, Stacy and I talked one night about how she was seeing some changes in McGee. I didn't think too much of it at the time. I guess I just didn't want to believe it. Do you think he's going to be ok? What does he need to get straightened out before he can come back?" Gibbs could see the genuine concern Tony had for McGee. Ziva was also standing there. "You have been through something like this. You know what he is going through. Is there nothing you can do to help him through it?" She was concerned for McGee too.

"Look, he needs to work this through for himself. He and Stacy had a falling out. He has changed; and it's not a good change at all. Stacy called me one night. Tim got violent with her." Gibbs thought they needed to know about the changes McGee had been going through. They needed to know what they were dealing with.

Tony and Ziva just looked at each other and at Gibbs in disbelief. Neither one of them could imagine McGee being violent towards a woman; especially Stacy. They knew how much he loved her. This was just such a shock to them. "Gibbs, you need to talk to him or something. You cannot let him continue like this. You cannot let him destroy himself like this." Ziva had a hard time believing Gibbs would just let something like this go without trying to do _something._ Tony was speechless; for once.

"I've talked with him. I've given him advice. It's up to him to do the rest now. He will work it out. We all know him. Eventually something will happen to make it all click. Until then we all just need to be patient and give him the space and time he needs to work it all out." Gibbs knew that his team would be able to pull it together and help McGee with whatever he needed.

Abby was standing off to the side while they had been talking. She was still infuriated with McGee for what he had done. She was also upset with herself for not knowing what to do to help her friend. She and McGee had been through a lot together. She knew it took a lot for him to admit to her what he had done. She turned her back on him when he needed her the most. She needed time to come to grips with what he had done. He needed her and she was going to try her hardest to be there for him; and for Stacy too.

She walked over to the rest of the group. "Gibbs, I turned my back on him. I couldn't accept what he had done. He's my friend, and I turned him away when he needed me. What kind of friend does that? I talked to Stacy. I needed to hear her side. She isn't giving up on him, Gibbs. And neither am I." Gibbs hugged Abby and kissed her on the head.

"No one is going to give up on him, Abby. He means a lot to all of us. Right now he needs to sort this out for himself. He knows where we all are if he needs us. He'll reach out when he's ready." They talked about McGee and Stacy for a little while longer; then got back to work.

After a couple more days, McGee was able to get back to work. He did a lot of soul searching and knew what he was going to have to do when Stacy came back. Abby let him know that she was still there for him. She told him she talked to Stacy and that she just knew they were going to get through this. His friends rallied around him and helped him through the two weeks. They kept him busy and did their best to keep things as normal as they possibly could for him. He was seeming to be more like his old self. He still had some things he didn't remember, but they did what they could to help with that. They knew his biggest concern was Stacy. They only hoped that when she came back that things went well. McGee would be devastated if he lost her for good.

Stacy really missed Timmy. She knew he didn't mean to hurt her. There had to be a way to help him through all this. He needed his friends; this meant her too. She had to get past what happened. She had to be able to trust him again. She knew that the Timmy she had loved all these years was trapped inside him somewhere. Somehow, someway she was going to help him.

When she got back she took a couple of days to get back into the swing of things. She needed to get back to work. She needed to pick up the pieces and get her life back in order. Once everything else was back in place, then she would be able to work on getting things back on track with Tim. She called and asked if she could see him. She wanted to talk. He told her to come over that night. He wanted to see her. He _needed _to see her. He had gotten himself into a pretty good place with everything. He was NOT going to let things get to him like they had before. He didn't remember loving her; but yet he _knew_ he did. He had felt it from when he first saw her when he woke up in the hospital. He had also started falling in love with her all over again. He needed to keep himself in check. He was going to find a way to make this work. He was going to find a way to make her fall in love with him again; he HAD to.

Stacy got to Tim's apartment and hesitated before knocking on the door. She hoped that tonight was going to go well. She was determined not to set him off. They both needed this to go well. They both had issues that needed to be dealt with delicately. Stacy needed to realize that Tim may never remember what they had in the past. She needed to just proceed with the here and now. It really wasn't that bad; he did still seem very interested in her. There was no reason why they couldn't just start over. It wouldn't be easy, but it was possible. Tim needed to realize that just because he couldn't remember things, that didn't mean they didn't happen. Instead of being upset that he couldn't remember; he could let Stacy help recreate the memory. This could work.

Stacy knocked on the door and Tim let her in. He was very happy to see her. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her; but he knew that might not be a good idea. Not yet anyway. They made their way to the couch and spent the evening talking about what happened before Stacy left. They talked about the changes they would each have to make if this was going to work for them. Stacy finally realized Tim replaced the candles he had broken when he got home from the hospital. She thought that was sweet. She could see he was trying really hard to do all the right things.

Tim took Stacy's hands into his and looked deeply into her eyes. "Stacy, I know that I hurt you. I should have NEVER put my hands on you like that. I also should have NEVER said all those horrible things to you. There is no excuse for my behavior. Words will never be able to make up for any of that. I can't say I'm sorry enough. I _NEED_ for you to know; I DO love you. I didn't know that was what I was feeling; but now I do. I may not remember things, but I KNOW that my love for you is still there." While still holding her hands he got off the couch and was now kneeling before her on the floor. Tears were streaming down his face. Stacy also began to cry. She could see in his eyes that he meant every word he was saying. "Stacy, I am _begging you_, please, can you ever forgive me? I know I have absolutely no right to ask this. I want to show you that I am still the man you were in love with before all of this happened. I know there is a lot I don't remember. I may never remember. But you can tell me about things and help recreate the memories for me. And we can make new ones. Please, tell me I didn't blow everything. Give me _ONE_ chance to PROVE that I am worthy to be with you. I love you."

Stacy needed a minute before she could answer. She looked at Timmy as he knelt before her; pleading for her forgiveness. He wanted to prove himself, he _needed_ to prove himself. She finally found the words she was searching for to answer him. "Timmy, yes you did hurt me. I also know that wasn't the _real_ you. I know the _real _you. I know you wouldn't want to hurt me. You actually made me that promise once. From this moment on, I am holding you to that promise. I've said before that EVERYTHING happens for a reason. We've known each other since we were kids. We fell in love when we were teens. Our paths went in different directions for a while; but we found our way back. I REFUSE to believe we were brought back together just for us to fall apart like this. Together, we can move past this. We can both do our parts to make sure something like this NEVER happens again. I know you are still the same man I was in love with…the man I am STILL in love with. Our story isn't over yet, Timmy. We hit a bump in the road; a BIG bump. We can do this; together. I do forgive you; but; I will not be able to forget this for a long time. I will give you a chance to prove to me that this will not happen again. I will tell you this though; IF this EVER happens again; you WILL lose me. There will be NO MORE chances. I hope you understand why I am telling you this. I'm not doing it to upset you. I just NEED for you to know I will NOT let it happen again. I don't think it will. You are better than that. I love you, Timmy. I won't give up on you."

Stacy pulled Tim close to her and held him tightly. She buried her face in his shoulder and cried. Tim held her tighter than he ever held her before. They were both crying. Neither of them wanted to let go. Stacy pulled Tim back onto the couch and she curled up to him. They held each other for what seemed like forever. Stacy had her head on Timmy's chest. She could hear his heart beating. The sound soothed her. They fell asleep. Tim woke up a couple of hours later. He tried not to wake Stacy as he moved. He gently picked her up and carried her into his room. She stirred slightly. He kissed her on the cheek and told her to go back to sleep. He laid down next to her and held her close. They spent the night cuddled together and slept. They needed this. Things were on their way to getting better for them.

Stacy woke up the next morning and at first she wasn't sure where she was. She remembered that she and Tim were on the couch talking and that they were holding each other. How did she end up in his bed? She didn't remember waking up and going into the bedroom. Tim woke up when Stacy started moving.

"Timmy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. How did I get in here? I don't remember coming in here?" She was hoping he wasn't upset that she was in there.

Tim smiled at Stacy. "It's ok. I woke up last night while we were still on the couch. I was really careful not to wake you. I carried you in here. I hope you don't mind."

Stacy thought that was sweet. He could have just left her on the couch. Or even told her it was time to go home. He carried her to bed. THAT was the Timmy she has known and loved all this time. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that." She kissed him on the cheek.

Stacy got up and got herself together. "I need to go home and get changed. I'll call you later." She walked over to Tim as he was sitting on the bed and kissed him. He pulled her onto his lap and kept kissing her. He didn't want to let her go.

"Maybe we can go out to dinner tonight?" Tim still didn't want to let her go. He knew he had to though.

"Dinner sounds nice. Call me later and let me know what time. I'll see you later." She kissed him on the cheek and started to get up.

Tim wouldn't let go of her hand. "I love you, Stacy." He kissed her hand. "I love you too, Timmy." She gave him one last kiss and left.

On her way home; Stacy called Abby. She filled Abby in on everything she and Tim had said to each other the night before. She told her things went VERY well; better than she had expected.

"Oh my god Stacy; that's GREAT! I was getting worried. I thought you would have called me last night. I was so hoping you guys had a good night. Was it late when you left?" Abby was happy to hear that everything went well for her friends.

Stacy giggled. "Abby, I'm on my way home now to get ready for work."

"Oh…OH! I guess you guys DID have a good night!" Abby smiled as she teased Stacy.

"No Abby, get your mind out of the gutter! We fell asleep on the couch and in the middle of the night he carried me to bed. I must have really been asleep because I didn't even wake up when he did that." Stacy was a bit giddy while telling this to Abby.

"Aww, that's so sweet. I'm glad he's being more himself now." Abby just hoped McGee stayed on this path. They talked for a few more minutes before Stacy got home.

Stacy was happy to have "HER" Timmy back. She was looking forward to her dinner date tonight. She couldn't wait to see Tim again.


	9. Chapter 9

A few weeks went by and things were going very well for Tim and Stacy. Tim kept hoping to get his memory back. He wanted to remember when he and Stacy fell in love the first time. Every once in a while he would remember little things here and there from the past, mostly in short little "clips". He was thankful every day for Stacy. It had to hurt her that he couldn't remember their past; but she didn't let it show. She took everything day by day with him. He was lucky to have someone like her in his life. He decided he was going to do something special for her. They had a weekend coming up where they were both not working. It also happened to be her birthday on Saturday. This was going to be HER weekend.

McGee wanted to make the weekend special for Stacy. She had done so much for him. He needed to do something to show how much he appreciated her. He thought for while about what he wanted to do. One night while they were out she was talking about when she had gone to New Hampshire as a child and how much she loved it there. He decided that would be where they would go. Tim let Stacy know that they were going away for her birthday. Stacy was excited to get away for a couple days. She looked forward to the extended time away with Timmy. Friday afternoon was not going to come fast enough for her!

Tim told Stacy he would pick her up around noon. He decided to get her flowers on the way. But he couldn't remember what she liked. He decided to just go and pick something; knowing Stacy she would love anything he got for her. He started looking around and for some reason he decided on a simple bouquet of daisies. There was something about them that just seemed to click. He also bought her a single red rose.

McGee got to Stacy's apartment a little early. He couldn't wait to see her. He hoped she was going to like the flowers he got her. He really hoped that she would be happy with where he was taking her. He would only tell her to pack warm clothes. He wanted her to be surprised. He knocked on her door and she yelled to him to just come in. She was in her room getting ready.

Stacy came out of her room and saw Timmy standing in the living room with his hands behind his back. "You're early! I'm almost ready; just a few last minute things needed to be packed. What'cha got behind your back?" She smiled and tried to peek behind him.

"I got this for you." Tim handed her the rose. "I saw how beautiful and perfect it was and it reminded me of you." He bent and gave her a sweet, tender kiss.

"Aww, thank you, Timmy. You always know what to say to make me smile." Stacy was blushing a bit. He loved making her blush like that. He thought it made her even more beautiful when she glowed like that.

"I also got you these." He pulled out the daisies. He really hoped she wouldn't be disappointed with them.

"Oh Timmy! Daisies, my favorite!" Stacy gave him a big hug. "Did you actually remember these are my favorite?"

"I think I kind of did. I saw them and just knew I had to get them for you." He was relieved that she liked them.

"Do you remember why they are my favorite?" Stacy had an almost shy little smile on her face.

"No, I'm sorry I don't." Tim was hoping this didn't upset her.

"I've always liked them because they are pretty. But I really started to like them more when I turned 11. That was the first year we were friends for my birthday. We had only met about a week before, so you were invited to my party pretty much last minute. You didn't know much about me at that point, so you said you didn't know what to get me for a present. In class we had talked about flowers and I mentioned that I really like daisies; so that is what you gave me." Stacy stared up into Timmy's eyes, hoping maybe she might have sparked something. "You kinda had the same look on your face just now when you gave them to me as you did then. I think that may actually have been the moment I first started falling for you. You were just too cute." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

As Tim listened to the story; he was actually able to remember little bits of that day. He remembered feeling awkward giving her flowers. He vaguely remembered that he had a little bit of a crush on her from the first day he met her. "I'm glad you like them. We should probably get going. We have a long ride ahead of us." Tim hated to rush the moment; but he knew they needed to head out.

"Ok. Why don't you grab my bag for me while I put my sneakers on?" Stacy made a motion towards her room while she sat on the couch to get her shoes on.

Tim hadn't been in her room yet. They always seemed to end up at his place instead of hers. He saw the bag on the floor at the foot of her bed. As he picked it up he noticed a few pictures on her nightstands. He started looking at them and one really caught his attention. As he looked at it, another memory was sparked. It was from when they were in high school. They had decided to go to one of the formal dances together. At first neither of them wanted to go; but their parents had insisted; so they went together as friends. The memory was a bit fuzzy; but he remembered they did have a good time. She looked so pretty in her light pink dress.

"Did you get lost in there?" Stacy called to Tim from the living room. "I thought you said we needed to get going." Stacy was in the doorway now.

"I'm sorry. I was just looking at your pictures, and this one caught my eye. I remember a little bit about that night. I remember thinking you were the most beautiful girl there." Tim was pointing to the picture of them and then at Stacy. She walked over to him and he pulled her close and kissed her. He didn't want to stop, but knew they would have plenty of time later.

They were driving for about an hour when Stacy tried to find out where they were going. Tim wouldn't tell her. "It's going to be a surprise. Why don't you take a nap? I'll wake you when we get there." Tim smiled over at her knowing that curiosity was getting the better of her.

"Oh fine. I guess a nap sounds good. I'm sure I will love it wherever we go, because I will be there with you." She smiled at Tim and closed her eyes. She slept the rest of the trip there.

"Sweetie, wake up. We're here." Tim reached over and gently woke Stacy. The sun was already setting. He looked around and could see why she liked it here. It was beautiful.

"What time is it? Where are we?" Stacy stretched a little as she was waking from her nap.

Tim had already gotten out and opened her door. He extended his hand to help her out, "Come on." He couldn't wait to show her all the surprises he had for her.

Stacy got out of the car and took a deep breath as she looked around. The smell of fresh pine in the air and the view around her gave it away. "We are in New Hampshire, aren't we?" She had a big smile on her face.

"Yep. You kept talking about it a couple of weeks ago, so I thought it would be nice to bring you here for your birthday weekend." Tim could see how excited she was to be there and knew he did good.

"Timmy, thank you! This is perfect!" Stacy gave him a big hug.

Tim had their bags and brought her to the room. He had asked if everything was all set like he had asked when he was at the front desk. They assured him it was. He opened the door and let Stacy go in first.

Stacy walked in and looked around the room. It was breath taking. There were candles lit everywhere. There were also rose petals on the bed and a trail leading to the bathroom. She had always hoped for a night like this. She couldn't believe it was actually happening.

"Oh Timmy, WOW! I can't believe you went through all of this for me!" Stacy was beaming. She turned and looked at him as he closed the door behind them. She pulled him close to her and kissed him. He dropped the bags and scooped her up. He carried her over the bed. He gently lay her down and they started undressing each other. Tim stopped her. There was another surprise for her first.

"Follow me." Tim led Stacy by the hand over to the bathroom. There was a bubble bath that had been drawn just before they got there. Stacy just looked around and saw more candles and rose petals. This night just seemed like it could not get any more perfect. He finished undressing her and helped her into the bath. Then he proceeded to wet down her hair and wash it for her. He could see she was enjoying the gentle massage he gave her while washing her hair. He finished, kissed her gently and told her he would be back soon.

Stacy lay in the tub and just relaxed for a few minutes. She had always pictured a night like this. She never thought it would happen. But now it was and with the perfect man. She started to fantasize about what the rest of the night would be like, when Timmy came back in. He had a room service cart with him and on it was champagne, whipped cream and strawberries.

"I hope you didn't miss me too much while I was gone." Tim smiled at Stacy and kissed her as he pulled the cart next to the tub and then climbed in with her. He poured them each a glass of champagne. He handed one to Stacy; then he took a strawberry, dipped it in the whipped cream, and fed it to her. After a bit, Tim started draining the water and helped Stacy out of the tub. He wrapped her in a towel and carried her back to the bed.

Stacy was floating on cloud nine. Timmy was being so sweet and so gentle with her. He started to massage her neck and shoulders. He kissed her gently on the neck. This sent a chill up her spine. He stopped and knelt in front of her. He gave her a small box.

"This is one of your birthday presents." Tim starred at her eyes as she opened the box. Inside was a petite opal and diamond ring.

"Timmy, this is beautiful!" Stacy took the ring out and looked at it. She always liked her birthstones. There were two for October; opal and the old traditional pink tourmaline. She liked the fire of the opal.

Tim took the ring from her and placed it on her right hand. "This ring is to symbolize the promise I made to you. I promised I will never do anything to hurt you again. I love you."

"I love you too, Timmy." Stacy looked at the ring on her hand and then into his eyes.

Tim pulled her close and kissed her; slow and softly at first, then deeper and more passionately. They spent the night making love, cuddling and talking. They fell asleep in each other's arms.

Stacy woke the next morning and found a note on the pillow next to her.

Went to get us some breakfast. I'll be back soon. I love you.

Stacy just closed her eyes and smiled to herself as she was thinking of the night before. Tim was making this the most perfect birthday weekend for her. She couldn't ask for much more. He got back shortly after with some pastries and coffee.

"Good morning!" Tim sat next to her on the bed and kissed her. He handed her a danish and her coffee.

"Good morning. Thank you." She took her breakfast from him. "So, what are we doing today?" Stacy was looking forward to spending some time in the outdoors with Timmy.

"I was hoping to go for a hike, but it seems to have snowed last night. So, I will leave it up to you. It is your birthday. The day is yours to do whatever you want." Tim kissed her on the forehead.

Stacy got up and looked out the window. Everything looked so beautiful covered in a blanket of snow. She couldn't wait to get outside. She decided she just wanted to go for a walk downtown and check out some of the local shops. It wasn't far from where they were.

As they started out Tim went to the car to get his gloves. Stacy took this opportunity and threw a snowball at him. "Hey! So, that's what you wanna do, huh?" Tim threw one at Stacy and missed. They threw a few more and laughed when they both fell. Stacy finally let Tim get his gloves and they walked downtown.

They spent a nice day shopping. They stopped at a luncheonette and got some hot chocolate too. Stacy noticed Tim kept checking his watch. "You got a hot date tonight or something?" Stacy smiled as she teased him.

Tim looked at Stacy and smiled, "Yes I do, with _you_." Tim smiled and kissed her. "Actually I am taking you out for dinner tonight. I made reservations for 6:30, so we should head back soon so we can get ready."

"Where are we going?" Stacy hoped it wasn't anything to fancy. She really didn't bring anything dressy to wear.

Tim gave Stacy a sly smile, "Don't worry. I have _EVERYTHING_ taken care of." Stacy just gave him a look. They headed back to the room. Little did she know, he had another surprise waiting for her.

While Stacy was in the shower Tim got ready. He also got her surprise ready. Stacy came out of the bathroom, and Timmy was holding a little black dress for her. He had bought it during the week while he was planning out their weekend. He even got her shoes, earrings, necklace and a bracelet.

"You just thought of everything, didn't you? Thank you. I love all of it!" Stacy gave him a kiss and went to finish getting ready. She didn't take as long as he thought she would. When she came out of the bathroom he took one look at her and it took his breath away. He had imagined how good she would look in the dress when he bought it for her; but she looked so much better than he had imagined.

"Wow! You look gorgeous!" Tim walked over, took her hand and kissed it.

Stacy smiled at Tim. "You look pretty good too." She kissed him on the cheek. "So, where are we off to?"

"A restaurant." Tim helped her with her coat. They set out for her birthday dinner. Stacy couldn't wait to see where they were going. He had already planned such a wonderful night for her last night; what did he have up his sleeve to top it tonight?

They got to the restaurant and he gave the hostess his name. She brought them toward a room in the back that seemed to be dark. As they walked through the doorway the lights came on. "SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY STACY!" Stacy could hardly believe it. Everyone was there for her birthday. She ran up to Sarah and Abby and hugged them both. She made her way around the table and said hello and thank you to Ducky and Palmer and finally got to meet Breena. She had heard so much about her; it was nice to finally meet her. She hugged and thanked Tony and Ziva. They looked awful cozy together. Lastly, she walked over to Gibbs. He stood up and gave Stacy a hug.

"You look beautiful tonight, Stacy. I'm really happy to see that you and McGee have been able to work things out. You two are really good for each other." Gibbs kissed her on the cheek.

Stacy made her way back to Timmy. He just smiled at her as she walked over. She put her arms around him and just seemed to melt into him. She looked up into his eyes and could see how much he loved her.

"Timmy, this is great! Thank you so much for all of this. You are so sweet. I love you so much!" Stacy kissed him.

"You are so very welcome. I'm glad I could make you happy. You deserve it. Happy Birthday, Baby. I love you too." It really made Tim feel good to see Stacy this happy.

The group had a great time eating and drinking. The night was full of smiles and laughter. Stacy couldn't have asked for a better group of people to spend her birthday with. They were like her new family. She loved them all.

Abby and Sarah noticed her new ring and commented on it. She told them what he had said when he gave it to her. Sarah went and talked to Tim for a bit while Stacy stayed and talked with Abby.

Stacy and Abby had been in the middle of a conversation when she accidently knocked over and empty bottle on the table. It spun around a couple of times and both she and Abby just watched. It stopped spinning and was pointed right at Tim. The two girls just looked at each other for a minute. Abby just looked at Stacy "Oh my god, what are the odds of that happening?!" Her statement seemed to catch everyone else's attention. They all watched as Stacy got up and walked towards Timmy.

"I know you probably don't remember, but when we were 13, we were at a birthday party and this is how we had our first kiss." Without giving him a chance to say anything, she grabbed his face and kissed him; a long, deep kiss. She could feel his grip tighten as she kissed him. She slowly pulled away and could see something was different in his eyes. "Timmy, what is it?" She worried that maybe he tried to remember but couldn't, it bothered him when that happened.

Tim looked Stacy deeply into her eyes, "I remember." He whispered it so quietly.

"You remember our first kiss?" Stacy was a bit confused by his reaction.

"Yes. No. I mean yes. I remember our first kiss. Becky's birthday party. I remember the first day we met. I remember high school; graduation. I remember it all." Tim just starred at Stacy with a bit of disbelief on his face. "I guess we can add this to your birthday presents. I remember everything. I love you."

"If I had known this would have triggered your memory I would have done that a long time ago!"

The group watched this all unfold before them. It was like their story had become a fairytale. They loved each other when they were young, were separated for so many years, came back together like they were never apart. They seem to be beating all the odds. Now, Tim got his memory back. It was all falling into place.

Tony stood up and raised his glass and made a toast. "I would like to propose a toast. To Tim and Stacy; living proof that true love CAN conquer all!" Everyone else raised their glasses to that. This had to be the best birthday ever for Stacy. And it just seemed to be getting better and better.

The evening wore on and the group parted ways. Tim and Stacy went back to their room. He knew that probably nothing could top the nights' events. They spent the rest of her birthday weekend celebrating. Celebrating her birthday. Celebrating his memory coming back. Celebrating each other.


	10. Chapter 10

McGee got back to work Monday. He knew the holidays were going to be coming soon and he was going to need his friends to help him if he was going to continue making this a year that Stacy would never forget. They were all more than happy to help him with what he needed.

Tim had BIG plans in store for Stacy. He just hoped everything went off the way he was planning it in his head. Now that he had his memory back, he appreciated her even more. He knew now more than ever; SHE was THE ONE.

Thanksgiving was upon them. It was time for their annual "family dinner" at Ducky's house. The team was gathered around the table. Tim made the toast this year.

"I want to thank all of you for being there for me through all the hard times this year. I don't know if I would have made it through without all of you." He turned to Stacy. "I am mostly thankful for you. You came back into my life when I was going to need you the most. You stood by my side, even when I couldn't remember our past. You gave me a second chance that I didn't deserve. I will always be grateful to you for that. I love you." He then turned back to the rest of the group. "I love all of you too. Happy Thanksgiving."

They had a great dinner. They were all so grateful to have McGee back to himself. They were happy that Stacy was in his life. She made such a difference in his life. They all knew what McGee had planned for Stacy. They were eagerly waiting for the moment to come.

They made their way to the sitting room. Tim led Stacy over to the fire place. He sat her on the ottoman and handed her a glass of wine. Everyone just watched as they saw him reach into his pocket and pull out a ring box. Tim made a quick glance around the room at his "family". They all smiled reassuringly at him. He knew he had to do it now before he lost his nerve.

Tim looked at Stacy. She got the feeling something was up just by how everyone was watching them. "Stacy, you know I love you very much. I can't begin to imagine my life without you in it. You've done so much for me. You bring out the best in me. You always have. I don't know if there will ever be a way for me to repay you for all you've done for me over the years. You are and always will be my best friend. The years we were apart; it always felt like something was missing. I didn't know what it was until I got you back." Abby could see that Stacy was starting to shake and grabbed the glass out of her hand. Tim then got down on one knee. "I don't want to risk ever losing you again. We lost too many years already. You stole my heart the first time I ever saw you. You've had it ever since. I will be yours forever if you, Stacy Reid, would do me the honor, of becoming my wife." He opened the ring box revealing the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. It was a 1 carat princess cut pink tourmaline with a diamond on each side. It was the ring she had always imagined.

Stacy was speechless for a moment. She looked at the ring; then at everyone else in the room. It was as if EVERYONE was holding their breath, waiting for her answer. She then looked at Timmy. She looked deeply into his eyes. She saw the boy she fell for so many years ago. She saw the man he had grown up to be. She saw her EVERY dream, NOW coming true.

Tears started to stream down her face. "Yes, Timothy, I will marry you!" She wrapped her arms around him. By now everyone had at least a tear in their eye.

Tim put the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. They kissed and the room erupted in applause and congratulations from everyone.

Stacy walked over to Abby and hugged her. "Oh my god Abby! Thank you!" Abby was so happy for her friends.

"Why are you thanking me?" Abby wasn't quite sure why Stacy was thanking her.

"You brought us back together, Abby. None of this would be happening if it wasn't for you. Will you be my maid of honor?" Stacy knew it might be a conflict of interest because Abby was also Timmy's best friend.

"Stacy I would be honored to stand up for you and Timmy. You two belong together. I'm glad I was able to be a part of all of this." The two girls hugged and giggled as Abby took a closer look at the ring on Stacy's finger. She had seen it in the box, but on her finger; it REALLY sparkled.

While everyone was congratulating Stacy and looking at her ring; McGee pulled Gibbs aside. "Boss, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure Tim. What's up?" Gibbs wasn't quite sure what Tim wanted. "Congratulations. I'm really happy for the two of you. If I've ever seen two people that belong together, it's you and Stacy. I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you. That really means a lot coming from you. I need your help. I want to pull off a surprise Christmas wedding. I actually have two favors to ask of you. First, can it be at your house? If you were to ask for everyone to come over for dinner, you know they would. Second, could you build an archway for us?" He really hoped Gibbs would go along with this.

"Tim, it would be my honor to help you with this. As far as the archway, it's already done." Gibbs pat Tim on the shoulder.

"Wait, what do you mean the archway is done? How did you…never mind. You had a gut feeling, right." Tim was relieved that Gibbs was going to help him. He knew everything would be fine.

Gibbs just smiled at McGee and they went back into the room. Stacy looked over as they came in and wondered what Tim could possibly be up to now.

"Where did you sneak off to?" Stacy smiled and grabbed his hand.

"I didn't sneak anywhere. Boss needed me for a minute." He hoped she bought that story, but somehow he knew her better than that.

"Ahh, I see." Stacy didn't believe it for a minute; but she let it go.

Tim and Stacy went back to her apartment that night. After they made love, Tim was holding her and decided he already got one answer he was looking for tonight, he may as well try for another.

"Stacy, if we are going to get married, I think it's time we look for a house. Neither of our apartments is really big enough." Tim looked down at her, waiting for her response.

Stacy had her head on his chest. She heard what he said, but it seemed to take a second to really register. He wanted to buy a house together. "I think you might be right. My place is a little bigger than yours, but not by much. What did you have in mind?"

They spent some time talking about the kind of house they wanted. Of course, they had very similar taste, so it wouldn't be too hard for them to find something they would agree on. Stacy got up and grabbed her laptop. They looked on a few real estate sites and pointed out houses they liked that they would be able to afford. It started getting really late, so they put the computer away and went to sleep.

The following week, Stacy showed up at NCIS. "Hi everyone." She was practically beaming. Gibbs especially noticed a difference in her, but he kept it to himself.

"Stacy, what are you doing here?" Tim got up from his desk and walked over to her. He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I was hoping you might be free for lunch. I have something to show you." Stacy seemed really eager.

Tim looked at Gibbs. "Well, Boss. Is it ok if I take lunch? We are kinda slow right now."

Gibbs looked at the two of them. He could see by the look on her face that she had something big going on. "Go on you two, get out of here. I'll see you in about an hour or so."

"Thanks Boss." Tim gave Gibbs a nod.

"Thank you Jethro." Stacy smiled.

Stacy told Tim in the elevator that she would drive. She had a surprise for him. They pulled into a driveway of a house for sale. Actually there was a _Sale Pending_ sign on it. They got out and Stacy took Tim by the hand. She led him into the house and showed him around. It was a cute little house. The kitchen was a decent size, it had a dining room, living room and a den on the first floor as well as a half bath. The upstairs had a nice size master suite and two smaller bathrooms, and another full bath as well. Downstairs off of the dining room was a good size deck that led out into a good size yard. The whole property was fenced in.

Stacy looked at Tim after she finished showing him around. "Do you like it?" She HOPED he would say yes.

Tim took a minute. It was pretty much exactly what they had talked about the other night. How did she pull this off? He looked around and then at Stacy. "I do like it. Can we afford it?"

"Yes. It is right in the price range we discussed. I saw it one day and made an appointment to look at it. I really hoped you were going to like it. I _kinda_ put a down payment on it already." Stacy hoped he didn't get mad at her for that.

Tim's eyes widened when she said that. "Well, if you like it that much that you already put the down payment on it, I guess it's ours." He smiled at her. This really was the perfect house for them.

"Yay! I knew you would like it!" Stacy was jumping up and down. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss him.

Tim thought it was really cute how Stacy was so excited. He kissed her back and picked her up. They kissed for a few more minutes before they decided they needed to get going. Timmy did have to go back to work. He told her to call the relator so they could make an appointment to do all the paperwork.

They went back to NCIS. Stacy dropped Tim off. "I love you, Timmy. I'm glad you like the house." She kissed him before he got out.

"I love you too. I'm glad that you are glad." Tim kissed her and headed back into work.

The team looked at McGee as he walked back toward his desk.

"So, how was lunch?" Abby was sitting at McGee's desk.

"It was…productive." McGee smiled as he answered Abby.

"Productive…or maybe it was Reproductive. Getting in a little McQuickie over lunch?" Tony couldn't help himself.

"Grow up Tony. Even if that is what he did it really is none of your business." Ziva was also curious about his lunch date, but didn't need any details.

"We bought a house. Well, we looked at it. Stacy saw it the other day and put a down payment on it. It just so happens to be exactly what we both wanted." McGee had a huge smile on his face.

"McGee that's great!" Abby jumped up and gave him a hug. They were all happy for him.

McGee knew he was going to need Abby's help if he was going to pull off the wedding for Christmas. Since Stacy had asked Abby to be her maid of honor; he had to find a way to get Abby to help her get a dress; without Stacy knowing they were shopping for her dress. Abby had a plan and was more than happy to help out. Of course, this now meant she was going to have to keep this secret from Stacy until Christmas. This was going to be torture for Abby. These next few weeks were going to be very busy.


	11. Chapter 11

Tim told Stacy that since they got the new house, he wanted to have a formal dinner party for New Year's Eve. She seemed to like the idea. It would be nice to celebrate their first New Year's in their new house with their closest friends; their "family". He told her she should go shopping for a new dress for the occasion. He mentioned that Abby had said she needed to go shopping too, so maybe they could go together. Stacy thought it was a good idea, so the girls spent a Sunday together and went to lunch and dress shopping.

"Ya know Stacy, maybe you can check out some white dresses too. After all, you and McGee are engaged now." Abby held up a simple, but pretty white dress.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt." Stacy smiled and took the dress into the dressing room. Abby anxiously waited to see how she looked in it.

"What do you think?" Stacy came out and was absolutely glowing! Abby couldn't believe how perfect this dress looked on her.

"Stacy, it's perfect! We need to remember this place when the time comes for the wedding. Have you two set a date yet?" Keeping this secret was NOT easy for Abby.

"Actually, we really haven't even talked about it yet. But it is a busy time of year, I'm sure we will talk about it after the New Year. I'm gonna take this off and look for more stuff for the party." Stacy went back into the dressing room. Abby quickly found a couple of dresses for her while she changed.

"Here, why don't you try these and I'll put that one back." Abby took the dress from Stacy. While Stacy tried on the other's Abby quickly got the attention of one of the sale's girls and told her to put the dress on hold until later. She would come back for it after Stacy went home.

Stacy and Abby had a great time spending their girl's day together. Abby brought Stacy home and went back for the dress. Mission accomplished!

Tim let Stacy know about the "family tradition" of watching "It's a Wonderful Life" together on Christmas Eve. She was part of the family now, so of course she was invited. She thought this was a sweet tradition. She let him know she would meet up with him at NCIS later.

Everyone was gathered together in MTAC getting ready to watch the movie. Gibbs called everyone's attention. "This has really been one crazy year for all of us. I know this is last minute, but I would really like it if you would all come to my house tomorrow for Christmas dinner." Abby and McGee glanced at each other quickly. They didn't want to make it obvious that they were already in on this. Everyone thought it would be great idea. They all sat and watched the movie together.

Tim and Stacy went home and were getting ready for bed. Stacy thought it was going to be really nice to spend Christmas at Gibbs' house with everyone.

"Yeah, it's going to be great. Listen, Gibbs is going to need my help with some stuff so I'm going to be heading there early in the afternoon. I hope you don't mind." Tim had it set that Abby would pick up Stacy so that he could go over early and help set everything up.

"Ok Tim. Maybe I can come with you and give you guys a hand." Stacy was sure with this being so last minute they could probably use some extra help.

Tim panicked. "NO!" He should have known she would want to help out. "I mean…thanks but, he needs help moving some stuff around. Nothing really that you can do. Abby can swing by and pick you up on her way over. " Tim hoped she didn't push it.

"Oh, well alright then." Stacy actually was a bit happy about having some time to herself. There was something she needed to do anyway.

Tim held Stacy close as she fell asleep. By this time tomorrow night, she would be Mrs. Timothy McGee. He didn't think he would be able to sleep. He was so anxious about the wedding. He hoped she wouldn't be upset that she didn't get to plan it. He hoped she was going to like what he was doing for her. He eventually did fall asleep though. He slept a lot better than he thought he would.

Stacy woke up first on Christmas morning. She got out of bed being careful not to wake up Tim. She made coffee for them and brought it upstairs. She gently started kissing him to wake him. Tim grabbed Stacy and pulled her back into bed.

"Merry Christmas beautiful." Tim brushed Stacy's hair from her face and just looked into her eyes. He wanted her; but decided to wait until later that night. He gently stroked her face and kissed her.

"Merry Christmas, Timmy. I love you." Stacy could see in Tim's gaze that the wheels were spinning, but she didn't want to ruin whatever surprise he may have for her. She was never really one for surprises; but he seemed to be the only one who could ever get away with doing it.

They got up and exchanged the gifts they had gotten for each other. Tim offered to make breakfast for Stacy, but she declined. She hadn't been feeling that great. He had started to notice.

"Are you sure you're ok? I've noticed you haven't been feeling well off and on for a while. Maybe you should go to the doctor." Tim hoped she would feel better by the evening.

"I'm fine. It comes and goes. No big deal. I'm sure it's nothing." Stacy smiled at Tim hoping to reassure him that she was fine.

"As long as you are sure you'll be ok." Tim hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. He had to get ready to go soon. There was a lot to be done.

McGee got to Gibbs' house and was surprised to see how much had already been done.

"Boss, this is great. Stacy is really going to love this. And the archway…I can't thank you enough for doing all of this for us." Tim just looked around in amazement at everything that was already done.

Gibbs has always been a father figure to his team, but Tim felt it now more than ever. He was grateful to have someone like Gibbs. He needed that person who believed in him like that. He only hoped that someday, he might be able to be that kind of father to his own children; if he and Stacy ever decided to have them.

Gibbs sat McGee down and poured them each a drink. "Tim, you know I think of you guys as my "kids". I've been waiting for the right time to have this little talk with you. I knew from the night we all met Stacy, that she was special to you. I could see that bond between you two. When you were shot; I could feel Stacy's pain. I watched the way she cared for you. You had your problems there for a bit; but then you found a way to work them out. I've seen this before. I lived it once. When I look at you and Stacy, I see myself and Shannon. What you two have; that's once in a lifetime. Cherish it. Hold on to it. Don't ever let it go. Some things will come easy. Some will take work. Don't ever take Stacy for granted. Make sure you tell her you love her ever day; every chance you get. Make sure you show her you love her too. Don't ever leave or go to bed angry. Stay up all night to work it out if you have to. You never want to let the last words you say to be hurtful when you walk away; you never know when they will be the last words you ever say to her. She is your love of a lifetime. Lots of people never find that. You two are lucky. You are a good man, Tim. I know you will do whatever you can to make Stacy happy. You are going to be a good husband to her and someday I can tell you will be a great father for your kids. I am proud of you. I'll always be here if you ever need me." Gibbs could see by the look on McGee's face that it really meant a lot to be having this talk with him. "Oh, and for the rest of the day, I'm not your boss." He shook Tim's hand and gave him a fatherly hug.

McGee sat and looked at Gibbs while he said all of this. He wished his own father could have been the one saying this to him. But Gibbs was more of a father to him through all of these years, and hearing these words from him meant so much to him. It made him feel good to know that Gibbs was proud of him and that he thought so well of him. To hear him say that he and Stacy reminded him of himself and Shannon only reinforced the fact that he KNEW Stacy was THE ONE.

"Boss…sorry, Jethro, thank you. What you just said really means a lot. You have always been there for me. I know you've been there for Stacy when she needed you too. I am going to do my best to make this all work. I don't think I've ever wanted anything more in my life. I will remember your advice."

The door opened as they were talking. Tony walked in. Gibbs had asked him if he would come a little early too. Ziva was with him.

"Ok Boss. What's up with this last minute shin-dig you invited us to? What's really going on here?" Tony knew something was going on if he had McGee there too.

"Why don't you just ask McGee?" Gibbs went back outside to finish up what was left to be done.

"McGee? Why am I asking McGee?" Tony was really confused now.

Ziva took a close look at McGee. She could see that he seemed a little nervous. "Where is Stacy?"

"Stacy's home. She'll be here later. Abby is picking her up." Tim was still thinking about everything Gibbs had said to him.

McGee's phone rang. It was Sarah. "Hey Sarah, did you pick up the flowers yet? Yep. Ok, see you in a little while. Thanks." He hung up and looked at Tony and Ziva.

"Stacy and I are getting married today. I asked the Boss if we could do it here. It's actually a surprise. She doesn't know, or at least if she does she hasn't said anything to me. I wanted you all to be here with us for our special day. Sorry I kept it a secret from everyone." McGee was a happy that his family was going to be with him today.

"McGee I am so happy for you! This is great. How romantic?! A surprise Christmas wedding. Stacy is a very lucky girl!" Ziva gave McGee a big hug.

"Yeah this is great, but uh, what about the bachelor party? You can't get married without a bachelor party?" Tony seemed a bit disappointed at not having the opportunity of throwing the party for McGee.

"Tony, I _can_ get married without a bachelor party. I know you're disappointed, but you'll get over it. Can't you just be happy for me?" McGee somehow knew that would be Tony's first reaction.

"Of course I'm happy for you. I was only kidding…well, sort of. But, as long as you are happy that's what matters." Tony put his hand on McGee's shoulder.

"There is something you could do for me though. You know you are like a brother to me. Will you be my best man?" Tim hoped he wouldn't regret this later during the best man speech.

"Of course, Tim. In all seriousness, I am really happy for you and Stacy. I hope you both have a long, happy life together." Tony shook McGee's hand. He really was happy for him. Being with Stacy really brought out the best in McGee.

Sarah and Abby got there at the same time. They brought in the flowers and Abby had the dress and everything Stacy was going to need.

Abby was trying to get upstairs when she saw Tim trying to sneak a peek at the dress. "McGee! You know you can't see any of this until it's on Stacy! Now shoo!" Sarah grabbed her brother and pulled him outside to help her with the rest of the flowers.

Everything was pretty much all set for the wedding. Everyone was there and knew what was going on. Except Stacy. She was still home, completely clueless about the magical night that was ahead of her. She knew Abby would be there soon, so she got ready to go. She took her time getting ready. She did her hair the way Tim liked it best; pulled up on the sides and down in back. She wore his favorite perfume too. She wanted to look really pretty for him tonight. Something told her she needed to look extra special.

Abby showed up at the house and it was all she could do not to tell Stacy what McGee was up to. She took one look at Stacy and tears filled her eyes. She was about to marry her best friend. She was so happy for them! She was practically bursting at the seams! She had to pull herself back together quick, or she would give it all away.

"Hi Abby! I'm just about all set to go. I just need to grab my coat." Stacy looked at Abby and noticed how nice she looked tonight. "You look nice tonight. What's the special occasion?" She laughed a little as she was getting her coat on.

"Occasion? No special occasion. Actually it's Christmas, so it is a special occasion." Abby caught herself before she said something she wasn't supposed to. McGee would kill her if she gave it away.

"Yes, it is special." Stacy smiled.

"Let's get going. I don't want McGee thinking we aren't showing up." Abby was getting more and more anxious by the second.

"Why would he think we weren't showing up?" Stacy thought it was odd for Abby to say something like that.

"You know how he is; he worries when he doesn't need to. Come on let's go." Abby grabbed Stacy by the arm and pulled her out the door.

They got to Gibbs' house and when they walked in everyone just stopped and looked at Stacy. She noticed that everyone seemed to be acting a little funny. It was like Thanksgiving all over again. What was Timmy up to this time?

McGee walked over and helped Stacy with her coat. He gave her a quick kiss and walked her over to everyone else. "Do you want a glass of wine?"

"Um, actually how about water? I haven't really eaten much, so I want to wait on the alcohol." This wasn't really completely true, but she knew the excuse would work; for now anyway.

"You feeling ok? I know you said earlier that you felt a little off?" Tim was hoping she was ok. She needed to be ok tonight.

"I'm fine. Just don't want it to go to my head." She just smiled at him.

Tim took a deep breath. "Stacy, I have one last gift for you tonight." He was actually starting to tremble a little.

"You've already given me so much. What else could you possible give me?" Stacy was a bit puzzled. Tim seemed really nervous. What was he up to?

"Me." Tim held her hand. "I want to give you me. Tonight. Marry me." His gaze was intense. He was looking deeply into her eyes.

"I already said I would marry you…" Stacy started putting it all together. Was this really happening?

"I mean now; tonight. Will you marry me tonight?" Tim was getting more and more nervous.

"But I don't have…" Stacy couldn't even finish the statement before Abby interceded.

"Yes you do. It's upstairs. Everything is here and all set." Abby smiled at Stacy.

Stacy was blown away. He did it again. He surprised her and thought of everything. She couldn't believe he actually pulled this all off. Now she knew why Abby was acting so strange before.

"Yes, Timmy. I will marry you tonight." She fought back tears as she answered him.

"Well, I guess you need to go upstairs and get ready then." Gibbs walked over and kissed her on the head.

Abby and Sarah took Stacy's hands and brought her upstairs. They went into the room and Stacy saw the dress she had tried on that day at the store.

"When did you get this?" She looked at Abby. She knew it had to be her.

"I went back right after I dropped you off that day. It looked so perfect on you. You were glowing! I also picked up everything else you would need." She smiled at Stacy with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you Abby." Stacy was on the verge of tears and hugged Abby. "Ok…we gotta stop this. I am NOT going to cry!"

Sarah looked at Stacy. "Thank you for making my brother so happy Stacy. I'm so happy that I'm finally officially going to have the big sister I always wanted!" They hugged each other and both started to cry a little.

"If we don't stop, my makeup is gonna run and I'm gonna be a mess." Stacy carefully wiped the tears from her eyes.

Abby and Sarah helped Stacy with her dress. Abby also got her a small tiara and a necklace. There was also a small fur lined jacket and ankle boots. Stacy just finished getting ready when there was a knock on the door.

Abby cracked the door open. It was Gibbs. "I've come to escort the bride." Abby opened the door all the way. Gibbs walked over to Stacy and offered her his arm.

"Stacy, you look beautiful. McGee is a lucky man. Be good to him. I know you two are going to have a long, happy life together." Gibbs kissed Stacy on the cheek. "May I have the honor of giving you away?"

Stacy was again on the verge of tears. "Thank you, Jethro. Yes, I would very much like it if you gave me away." She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Abby and Sarah also started crying a little. Gibbs turned and looked at them. "Let's go. We have a wedding to get to."

The two girls went ahead downstairs. Stacy did a couple last minute touches to her makeup. Gibbs handed Stacy her flowers. "Are you ready?"

Stacy smiled. "Yes. I am more ready than I have ever been." They headed downstairs.

He walked her to the back door. Everyone was outside, waiting for her. Gibbs looked at Stacy. "Let's do this." He opened the back door.

Stacy looked out and saw everyone standing looking at her. There was a beautiful archway covered in white and red roses and twinkle lights. There were twinkle lights everywhere. It had started to snow ever so lightly, and it glistened so beautifully. Then she looked at Tim. He looked so handsome in his tux. There was no way for her to keep the tears back anymore. She was so overwhelmed with emotion. ALL of her dreams were coming true. She was tempted to pinch herself just to be sure it was all real.

Tim watched as the door opened and Gibbs and Stacy walked out. He thought his heart was going to leap right out of his chest. Seeing her took his breath away. She was stunning. For a moment, he could see nothing else. As they walked closer; he could see the tears on her face. It made him cry a little as well. He couldn't remember any other moment in his life when he was this happy.

Gibbs kissed Stacy on the cheek and handed off the bride. Tim Took Stacy's hand and looked into her eyes. "You are so beautiful. I love you." He whispered to Stacy. She smiled back at him. "I love you too."

The ceremony was short, but sweet. The time came for the vows. Tim looked at Stacy. "I hope you don't mind, but I want to do our own. I swear I don't have anything already written. It's just going to come from the heart."

Stacy was touched. She nodded her agreement.

"Stacy, the first day I met you; you were the only kid in school who would talk to me. You accepted me as I was. You became my friend, my only friend, my best friend. Through the years, you were always there for me. You held my hand when I was scared, you stuck up for me; you listened when I needed to talk. You always believed in me; even when I doubted myself. You let me grow into the person I wanted to be. I knew I could always trust you to be honest with me. You never knew it back then; but you had my heart. For years we were apart; and part of me was missing. I realized what that part was the night you walked back into my life. I can honestly say that I don't think I could have made it through this past year without you. I love you. I want to spend each and every day for the rest of my life showing you how much I love you. I want to make sure you always know how much you mean to me. I promise to never take you for granted. I promise to be the best husband that I can be. Tonight is the beginning of the rest of our lives. I look forward to making the journey with you. I love you."

There was not one dry eye there. Everyone was so caught in the moment with them. The words he said definitely came from the heart. Stacy was in awe. She was captivated by every word. She knew he meant all of it. Now it was her turn. She had so much she wanted to say. She needed to think quickly.

"Timmy, when you came to my birthday party and gave me those daisies, I knew you were special. It had to take a lot of nerve for a ten year old boy to give flowers to a girl. But at that point, that was the only thing you knew I liked. It showed me that you actually listen to me; and that meant a lot. No one ever really cared about what I had to say. Except for you. You always had the time to listen to me. You were my best friend. You never judged me. You believed in my dreams and did whatever you could to help me realize those dreams. You held me when I needed reassurance. You were a shoulder for me to cry on. You are one of the very few people who have ever seen me cry. I could let my guard down around you. You were the one person I let in. The first time I looked into your eyes, I was lost. Lost in you. I hope I am never found. I am the person I am today because of you. I want to spend the rest of my life reaching for the stars with you by my side; because I know I can do anything with you. Thank you for being you. You are all I ever needed; all I ever will need. I am yours forever. I love you."

They exchanged rings. They were both so emotional at this point, that they both almost dropped them.

The minister looked at Tim and Stacy. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. Tim, you may kiss your bride."

Tim looked into Stacy's eyes. He caressed her face with his hand and pulled her in. He kissed her very softly and sweetly.

The minister then announced them to everyone. "I would like to introduce for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Timothy McGee."

Everyone walked over and group hugged them. It was getting cold so they all went back inside. Tony and Ziva handed out champagne to everyone for the toast. Tony raised his glass to make his toast.

"Tim, I remember when you came to us as just a mere probie. I know I took my jabs at you, but I knew you had what it takes. I took you under my wing and helped you learn what you needed to know. We've been through a lot together over the years. Together we have all become a family. You are the little brother we've all looked out for at one point or another. The night Stacy came back into your life, it changed something. She gave you a confidence I hadn't seen before. Through tough times, she was there for you. She has made her way into our family and made it better. I look forward to watching you two go through your journey together. I love you both. Good luck in everything you do and may all your dreams come true. Since the two of you have found each other again, it truly has been –A wonderful life! To Tim and Stacy!"

Now it was Abby's turn.

"Stacy, I remember meeting you for the first time and I asked you why your boyfriend wasn't around. You started telling me about this boy who stole your heart way back in high school. The more stories you told me, the quicker I realized I knew who he was. I knew who he was, because he used to tell me all the same stories about the girl who stole his heart. When I brought the two of you together that night, I never would have dreamed this would be the outcome. You are two of the most beautiful people; inside and out, that I have ever met. I am so happy you are part of my family. I know that from this day forward, only good things will happen for you both. I love you guys!"

Abby walked over and hugged them both.

The night went on and everyone was having a great time. Stacy was talking with Ziva and Tim and Tony walked over. Tony asked if they wanted any wine. Ziva said yes, but Stacy politely declined.

"Stacy, this is a wedding. It's _your_ wedding. I haven't seen you with a drink all night. What are you pregnant?"

Stacy's eyes widened and she just looked at Tim. "I was waiting for the right time to tell you."

Tim stood there for a second speechless. "Really?" He could barely even get that out. Stacy just nodded in response.

"Oh my god! Everyone, no drinks for Stacy, doubles for McGee! He's gonna be a Daddy!" Tony put his arm around Tim's shoulders.

Tim grabbed Stacy and kissed her. "I can't believe it. When did you find out?"

"I took the test this afternoon after you left. Actually it was the second test. I took the first one last week, but wanted to make sure before I told you. Surprise! Merry Christmas!"

Tim was overwhelmed with emotion. He finally had the woman of his dreams; and he just found out she was going to be having his baby. Everything was going to be perfect.

Stacy made her way around to everyone and thanked them for being there. She was happy to have such a wonderful family now. They all welcomed her with open arms and were there when she needed them.

Stacy finally made her way over to Gibbs. He was the father figure she had always wanted. Her own father never seemed to think she was good enough for anything she wanted. "Jethro, I don't even begin to know how to thank you for all of this. Everything is so beautiful." She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.

"No need to thank me Stacy. Just be sure to keep McGee happy." Gibbs kissed Stacy back on the cheek and put his arm around her.

The night wore on into the wee hours. Everyone was having such a great time celebrating this unbelievably joyous occasion. It finally got to be time to go home.

Tonight was definitely a night no one was going to forget.


	12. Chapter 12

It was late when Tim and Stacy finally got home. Tim could hardly believe the surprise he had gotten. Stacy was having a baby, his baby. He pulled off the surprise wedding and it went off without a hitch. He was convinced that he had to be the happiest man in the world right at this very moment. As they got to the front door he opened it and turned to Stacy. "You know you can't just walk in tonight, right?" He had a sly smile on his face.

Stacy just stared back at Timmy. "Oh my god, no, don't!"

She had barely gotten the words out when he scooped her up and carried her in. "Timmy, put me down!" She was laughing and trying not to scream.

Tim put her down and stared into her eyes. He held her face and tenderly kissed her. "There's still one more thing we have to do." He walked over to the stereo. He had it all set up before he left. The song began to play and Stacy just looked at Tim. He walked back over and pulled her close to him.

"This is the first song we ever danced to together." Tim was smiling and looking deep into Stacy's eyes.

"Yes, I remember. It was the first time I ever slow danced with someone who wasn't family at some stupid family function. I never wanted that song to end that night. I loved the way it felt being in your arms, so close to you. I wanted to kiss you that night; but I was scared." Stacy had tears in her eyes as she reminisced.

"I wanted to kiss you too." Tim then kissed Stacy like he had wanted to that night at the dance. "I love you, Stacy McGee."

Stacy just let the sound of her name linger in her mind for a minute. Stacy McGee; that was her name now. She loved it! "I love you too, Timmy."

They finished dancing and Tim turned the stereo off. Stacy had started walking toward the stairs. Tim quickly followed behind her.

"Where do you think you are going?" Tim came up behind her and put his arms around her waist.

"I was heading to bed, it's late." Stacy was both exhausted and wide awake at the same time. She was so full of excitement she didn't know if she would even be able to sleep.

Tim started kissing her neck. It sent chills up her spine. He then quickly scooped her up again and brought her upstairs. He kept giving her small, quick kisses. He got to their bedroom and put her down. He stood looking at her for a moment. She looked so beautiful in her dress. She had done her makeup and hair the way he really liked it too. He got closer and put his arm around her waist. He traced his other hand light up her arm and her neck and gently grabbed her hair, pulling her head back. He leaned in and started kissing her neck. He had been wanting her since the night before; but wanted to wait. He let her go so they could get ready for bed.

Stacy came out of the bathroom wearing a white satin and lace night gown. "Your sister and Abby gave this to me earlier, I hope you like it." She turned so he could see the low cut back and walked over to the bed.

Tim took her hand. "Of course I like it, it's on you. As always you look beautiful." He kissed her hand and pulled her down onto the bed.

"Are you still going to think I'm beautiful when I get all huge with the baby?" Stacy had actually been thinking about that earlier. She was worried he would be turned off as the pregnancy progressed.

Tim could see the concern in Stacy's eyes. "Stacy, as our baby grows inside of you, I am going to think you are more and more beautiful. I don't think I could ever not think you are beautiful." He pulled her close and kissed her; slowly and tenderly at first, then more intense and passionate. He moved to her neck and worked his way down to her stomach, giving her several tender kisses on her belly. He made love to her and held her until after the sun rose. They spent the rest of the sleeping off and on and just enjoying each other.

Tim had originally opted to wait on the honeymoon. Now, with Stacy being pregnant, he started wondering if that was a bad idea. She didn't seem to mind waiting. She was just happy to have everything she ever wanted in life. She married the man of her dreams and they were going to have a baby. Her life seemed so perfect! She could hardly believe that only a few short months ago; it seemed her world was falling apart. It could only keep getting better.

Stacy had her first doctor's appointment. She and Tim were both so excited. Stacy went in for her exam while Tim waited in the waiting room. The nurse came out after and got him for the ultrasound. He walked into the room and took her hand and kissed it. He couldn't wait to see the first glimpse of his unborn child.

The doctor started the ultrasound. Stacy and Tim both had tears streaming down their faces as the doctor pointed things out on the screen. Everything looked good. The baby was developing just as it should be, Stacy was 2 months along.

Tim leaned over and kissed Stacy on the forehead. "I love you so much. You are going to be such a great mom." He kissed her again on the cheek.

"I love you too. We are going to have the perfect little family." Stacy squeezed Tim's hand and smiled at him.

The doctor gave them a couple of the ultrasound pictures to take with them. Tim wanted one to take to work. He wanted to show off the first picture of their baby.

"Of course you can have one, honey. Why don't we stop by and show everyone the pictures on our way home?" Stacy thought it was cute how excited Timmy was about being a dad.

"That sounds like a great idea." Tim held Stacy's hand as they walked to the car. They drove over to NCIS and showed everyone the ultrasound pics.

As the team was all oohing and ahhing at the ultrasounds; Gibbs thought back to when Shannon had first gotten pregnant with Kelly. He remembered feeling just like McGee was. He remembered the joy of starting a family with the woman he loved. He remembered the fear too. He remembered wondering if he would be a good dad. He knew sooner or later McGee would be taking him up on that offer he made the night they got married. He did tell him he was there for him if he needed anything. He got up and joined the rest of the team looking at the ultrasound pictures.

A couple of weeks went by and McGee was seeing changes in Stacy. She was getting moody. She was usually never moody. He did his best to try to keep things on an even keel. He felt bad that she was on such an emotional rollercoaster. He just hoped it wasn't going to get too bad. He didn't like seeing her unhappy for any reason.

One day in particular, Stacy was just all over the place emotionally. She knew it too. She felt horrible because she knew Timmy was trying so hard. Her hormones didn't care though. He was at his wits end. He sent a text to Abby. She let him know she would be happy to come spend some time with Stacy to help him out. Stacy had no clue.

"Timmy, I think someone is at the door." Stacy was on the couch and thought he was in the kitchen. She didn't get a response. "Never mind, I'll get it!" She was a little snippy, but caught herself.

"Stacy!" Abby walked up and gave her a big hug. "I've missed you! How are you doing?" Abby was actually happy McGee invited her over. She liked hanging out and having girl time with Stacy.

"Hi Abby!" Stacy was glad to see her friend. "I've missed you too. I've been ok. I wish my hormones would stop! I've been all over the place lately and I know it's making Timmy crazy!" She bit her lip a little. "He's been a little cautious and distant today. I really don't blame him though. I've been so horrible." Stacy started to tear up a little.

"Aww, Stacy, don't cry. I'm sure Tim understands. He's probably just afraid of doing something wrong to upset you." Abby wiped a tear from Stacy's cheek and gave a quick hug. "Let's go sit and talk."

They went to the kitchen table and chatted for a while. Tim came downstairs. "Hey Abby. How are ya?" He walked over and gave her a hug.

"I'm ok. Stacy and I have been chatting for a bit. I can't believe how great she looks! I love the little baby bump she is getting." Abby was so happy for them. Even though it was a "bad day", she could see how happy they were.

Tim walked over to Stacy. He put his hand on her belly and knelt beside her, then gently kissed her belly. "I love you baby." He whispered. He then looked up into Stacy's eyes, "I love you even more"; and then kissed her.

"I love you too. I'm sorry I'm so crabby today." Again Stacy started tearing up. Timmy was always trying hard to be extra sweet to her.

"You need to stop apologizing. I know you don't mean it." He kissed her forehead. "Would you mind if I went out for a little bit? You and Abby can have some girl time without dealing with me." He hoped having Abby around was being helpful.

"No, I don't mind. You need some time…and thanks for calling Abby and asking her to visit. That was very sweet of you. Just keep your cell on in case I end up with another craving." Stacy giggled a little. She had been getting cravings at some of the weirdest times, but he was always right there trying to make sure she had what she wanted.

"No problem. Anything for you, my love. I'll be back in a bit. I won't be long. I promise." He kissed her before saying goodbye to them.

Tim went to visit Gibbs. He needed to talk to someone who had been through this already. As usual, Gibbs was busy building something in his basement.

"Hey Boss. Mind if I come down." McGee was on the stairs.

"Come on down, McGee. I'm surprised you haven't been here sooner." Gibbs sort of smiled to himself. He knew McGee would be seeking advice soon.

"Thanks. I just needed a breather. Stacy has been on an emotional roller coaster today. She's been trying really hard not to be snippy with me. I just hate seeing her like this. I keep reassuring her when she gets upset and stuff. I don't know what else to do for her." Tim was hoping Gibbs would have some words of wisdom for him.

"Well McGee, you're doing everything you can for her. Reassuring her is definitely one of the top things. Trying not to feed into it when she is upset and you know it's only her hormones is always the right thing to do. I am sure you two will be fine." Gibbs gave McGee a pat on the shoulder.

"Yeah. I was hoping there was more, but I guess not. I know better than to fight with her over silly things. I can usually tell when it is something that is _really_ bothering her and when it's just the hormones. I just hope we get through these next 5 months without having a big blow out." Tim was a little worried that they would end up in a huge fight over something and he really didn't want that to happen.

"You'll do fine kid." Gibbs smiled at him. "You just have to let a lot of things go for a while. It's not always easy. Just imagine how she must feel."

"I know, Boss. She is always apologizing because she thinks I am going to be upset with her. I really don't get upset with her though. I know she is worried about us fighting too. The worst is when she cries. I _hate_ seeing her cry. And when she worries about being good enough. There isn't a doubt in my mind about how great of a mom she is going to be. I can't imagine anyone else being the mother of my children." Tim was glad to have someone he could really open up to about this. He could talk to Tony; but he knew Tony probably wouldn't understand. He needed this.

"Have you ever told her this? You should. I know it helped when I used to tell Shannon. I always let her know how I felt." Gibbs hoped he was helping McGee.

"Thanks. I should probably be heading back. I told her I wasn't going to be long." McGee felt better after having this talk with Gibbs.

"No problem. You're doing fine McGee. You got this." Gibbs gave him a pat on the shoulder as McGee started to walk away.

McGee was on his way home when his phone rang. It was Stacy. "Hey sweetie! I'm on my way home now. I miss you. What's up?"

"Hi honey! I miss you too. Can you get me some chocolate, _please_?" Stacy was having another craving and Abby had already left.

"I sure can. You want candy, cake…what kind of chocolate are you looking for?" Tim knew this could be a loaded question.

"I don't know…I just know I want chocolate. I'm sorry I can't be more specific." Now she felt bad because she didn't want to be too difficult or a pest.

"Ok, no problem, I'll figure this out. I'll be home soon." Tim had a plan. "I love you."

"I love you too. Thanks hun!" Stacy hung up and went back into the living room to read.

Tim got home and brought what he bought into the kitchen. Since Stacy wasn't sure exactly what she wanted, he picked up an assortment of chocolate for her. She preferred dark chocolate she he got that, as well as milk chocolate. He got candy, cakes, cookies and ice cream. He figured at least one of those would work. "Sweetie, where are you? I got your chocolate." He wondered where she was. She almost always greeted him at the door when he came home. He went into the living room and she was asleep on the couch with her book. He carefully moved the book onto the coffee table. Stacy stirred a little.

"I'm sorry; I just got real sleepy…" Stacy was still half asleep.

"It's ok. Don't be sorry." He motioned her to sit up a little and got on the couch with her and cuddled her. "I think a nap sounds like a good idea." He grabbed the blanket and put it over them and held her tight. He kissed the top of her head and even though he figured she was already back asleep told her how much he loved her. Soon they were both asleep.


End file.
